Secret's of The Moon
by jcont
Summary: The goddess Artemis has a secret that she is been keeping for years. What happens when that secret is out?
1. Chapter 1

**REWRITTEN: So here is the new version of this chapter thanks to all of you for been patient with me. An special big thanks goes to NerdySkeleton who accepted the challenge of been the BETA for this story. So NerdySkeleton thank you for your hard work. **

[A/N] OK... Here is my second attempt at fan fiction since my first didn't seem to work very well. I'm not going to give up on my first try so here I go again hopefully Ill do better this time. OK so yeah...

I don't own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it everything belongs to Rick Riordan.

******Secret's of The Moon**

******Chapter One**

The fog was cold and damp, and an icy wind blew through the shadow-cloaked forest. Autumn trees, bare and skeletal, clawed at a small figure that ran through the woods at that time. The small girl stopped as she reached the edge of a cliff which overlooked some hilly woodland. A snowstorm that had arrived only few hours ago had a blanket the wilderness beneath in a carpet of white powder. A silver cloak was draped over her shoulders; a white dress that seemed to glow in the moonlight clothed her little frame. Her bare feet sank into the snow beneath her. A cold wind rustled her auburn hair.

She brushed a snowflake from her cheek. Her features betrayed not the slightest hint of emotion. She was utterly focused on the task at hand. Her silver eyes searched the landscape in front of her. Smoke rose from a spot couple of miles ahead. _Her destination was close._

The edge of the cliff dropped away sharply in front her, but she fearlessly walked straight up to the precipice and right over the brink. Gravity seized her, and she plunged toward the woodlands fifty feet below. She coolly adjusted the small package she had been carrying in her arms as she fell, unconcerned by the snow covered ground that seemed to be rushing up at her at breakneck speed. Her petite form plummeted gracefully through the branches of the trees, expertly missing the towering tree trunks that threatened to impale her. The trees posed no real threat to her, but they did to the fragile cargo she was carrying.

But the girl knew what she was doing, however.

Her feet touched down at the foot of the cliff breaking her stride. She looked down at the package that she had been holding protectively in her arms, as it shifted for a moment. A smile spread through her lips. _It had not even __woken up_. She gazed at it for a moment holding it close to her body to keep it warm. Then she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

She marched forward; _I have to keep moving_, she thought. _Dawn will be here soon_. She knew he would wonder what she was doing all the way up here, and if he got curious he would discover her secret. She did not want to give explanations to anyone, at least not yet.

The girl marched through the snowy forest at a brisk pace. She could not afford to waste a minute, not even a second. She had to reach that place and then leave this area before dawn, or risk being discovered. She glanced up through the canopy of tree branches overhead. From what she could see of it, the sky did not appear to be lightening yet. She still got time to get to the house.

Within a few moments, she reached a small meadow; a house on the edge was in complete coverage of the trees. A well hidden secret sanctuary, it was hard to spot from above and just as difficult to reach on foot. _She still remember... _

The girl approached the doorsteps**.** The light coming from the windows provided the only illumination, but the girl did not need it; she could easily see through the dark. She arrived at the foot of the door and was about to knock on it when it swung open, revealing an older girl behind it.

"You sensed me coming?" she asked.

"Yes, I still have not forgot the old ways," the older girl responded with a smile. "It's been a long time, Lady Artemis."

"Yes, it would seem that way," Artemis answered looking up and down at the girl. She looked like a normal girl in her late teens. Her long blonde hair fell all the way to her waist, and her blue eyes still held the brilliance that they always had. She was still beautiful as well, but she had not changed much from the girl Artemis used to know.

"Please come in," the girl said, moving away from the door frame to allowed the goddess entry. Artemis walked pass her into the house. From outside the house**, **it did not seem that impressive to her; it was only two stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned but that was it. But on the inside was not what Artemis had expected; the room was large and bright, the south wall had been replaced with glass, revealing behind a small porch that spread to a wide lawn. A staircase dominated the east side of the room; the walls, the high ceiling, the wooden floor and the thick carpets complemented the room well making it look even more impressive. _She always had excellent taste._

"You seem to be doing well, all on your own**,** Galetri," Artemis's voice broke the short silence. "Well, it has not been easy, but I manage," said, the girl named Galetri.

"I see."

"I was surprised to hear from you again, my Lady."

Galetri watched the goddess with sad eyes. "I thought that after everything that happened you would never want to see me again..."

Artemis cut her off. "I'm in need of your service Galetri," she said**,** turning around to face her. "I spare your life after your betrayal, now I want you to pay me back for that."

Galetri's eyes turn to the top of the stairs, then to the goddess, and with a bit of fear on her voice, she spoke. "My Lady..."

Artemis cut her off again. "I'm not here to harm you Galetri, or her."

Galetri relaxed. "What do you need from me then, my Lady?" she asked the goddess, who in return remained silent. She looked down. For the first time Galetri noticed the small bundle she was carrying in her arms.

"I need you to look after something for me," she said in a low voice, as if she were afraid someone else might be listening.

Artemis took a step toward Galetri extending her arms to give the bundle to Galetri. She hesitated for a second then took it from her. Galetri carefully proceeded to remove the blanket that was wrapped around the object, only to reveal a sleeping infant inside.

Her eyes opened in shock at the sight of it. "My Lady, is this child yours?" Galetri tentatively asked.

"Yes, Galetri you are holding my very own child."

Galetri could not believe what she just heard**.** "But my lady have you…?" She was forced to hold the statement she was about to make as Artemis shot her an angry look daring her to finish that sentence.

"I have not broken my oath Galetri. I am a maiden, and I'll always be one."

"But then how did you...?"

"The birth of this child is a long and complicated story," Artemis explained. "I do not have time to explain right now. All I need you to do is promise me that you will look after him as if he were your very own," Artemis said with a bit of sadness at the very end. "You're the only one I can entrust him to."

Galetri had her eyes glued at the small infant the whole time the goddess had spoken. Then it hit her. _Him._ She turned to face the goddess " It's a _boy_."

"Yes," Artemis responded with a sad smile on her face. "My only child is a boy. _Ironic _is it not?"

Then her expression turned serious "Would you do it?" Galetri kept quiet for a moment. Then she nodded her head at the small goddess who sighed in relief. "Yes my Lady, I'll raise him as if he were my own."

"Thank you."

Artemis turned to look at the glass doors; she noticed the sky beginning to turn different colors. Narrowing her eyes she said, "I have to go now." Then she turned to Galetri and walked to her. She stopped and placed a small kiss on the baby's cheek. Then turned to the door and proceeded to leave.

"My Lady?" Galetri stopped her as she was about to exit the house. "What is his name?"

Without turning Artemis answered, "He doesn't have one. I didn't have time to give him one. I'll leave it to you to decide." With that she walked out of the house. Galetri followed her, but by the time she reached the door the goddess was gone. She walked back inside the house and closed the door. She felt the baby staring to move in her arms; she brought it up to her face and whispered to him. "It's ok. Everything is going to be just fine. I will protect you. I promise."

With the baby in her arms, she went up the stairs; as she reached the top she smiled, "You know I just thought of the perfect name for you."

Looking at the baby she said, "Welcome to our little family... _Dante_."

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] So let me know what you think of this one so far. Please review and give me suggestion on how to improved my story. I will try to updated faster this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**REWRITTEN: The corrections and revision for this chapter were made by NerdySkeleton who's beta skills and hard work has greatly improved this story.**

[A/N] OK... So here is the second chapter for this story. There will be two different points of view on this chapter, just in case it gets confusing. Oh...just a reminder I don't own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**Chapter Two**

Even in New York, Galetri discovered that there were moments and places of silence, where she could try to clear her mind off everything. Of course, these moments did not last very long. After all this was New York.

But even if it were only for a few seconds**,** Galetri was happy to be able to ignore the anxiety that this city caused her. She would prefer not to come to New York if possible, but this time she did not have much of a choice.

She had just recently opened her very own Ad Agency. It was very small, and it was struggling to compete with the bigger agencies, but it was doing OK..._so far_. They had very few clients, mostly small businesses, but recently a large corporation had approached them asking for their services. It was a big opportunity, one Galetri could not let pass. If she could get them as clients, it would open many doors for her agency. With something like that, their odds of success would increase; she would have a chance of providing a better life for her family.

But this meant coming to New York to do a presentation, and there was a risk of something awful happening while they where here. Galetri had thought to leave her family back home, but if she had done that she would be worried that something might happen to them in her absence. At least by bringing them along she would only had to leave their side for a few hours rather than days. It had been a gamble, and she knew it, but luckily they had already been in New York for 3 days and nothing bad had happened.

Now the presentation was over it had been a success, she got the client, now all she wanted was to get out of New York as soon as possible. _She did not want to push her luck_. One of her associates would stay behind to close the deal and see through all the details.

After the presentation Galetri had gone out and call for a cab, she was in the back seat trying to enjoy a moment of peace, but as it had been said before those moments don't last long in New York.

"Ma'am?" A man's voice put an end to her moment of peace.

"Ma'am...where too?" the cab driver asked her.

Galetri thought, _They_ _should still be at the park waiting for her_.

"Central Park, please," Galetri told him.

She had not liked the idea of them going there without her, but Joan, their babysitter, had reassured her that she would take proper care of them. _She was reliable_.

Looking at the window, she could see the top of the Empire State Building towering over the other buildings in the distance. Her head was telling her that she was worrying too much, but her instincts told her otherwise. _She had a bad feeling_.

She turned to the cab driver and said, "Could you hurry, please?"

The cab driver looked at her through the mirror, then smiled as if she had just said something funny. "Sure ma'am, I'll get you there in a sec. It is just rush hour." Galetri gripped her purse tightly and narrowed her eyes at the man. She guessed that the man must have seen something in her eyes through the mirror because his smile vanished in a second, and he seemed to be struggling for words.

"Hmm...I mean...ummm... I'll do my best."

"Thank you."

She turned to looked at the window one more time making a silent prayer in the process.

"Please let them be safe."

(/)

"Mikayla...Mika."

A 9 year old blonde girl, turned to look at the woman that was calling her name.

"Yes, Joan?" she said politely to her.

"Not so close to the edge sweetheart. It's dangerous."

The girl took a small step back from the edge of the lake "Oh... it's OK. I just want to take a better picture of the ducks," she said showing off her new camera.

"I'm surprised you still have film in it," Joan said curiously. "You have been taking pictures since we got here."

True Mikayla had been taking pictures of everything she saw in New York; the buildings, parks, statues, and people. It was her first time in a big city like this one, so she wanted to remember everything.

"I still have some left..." she said, "but I'll save a few for later."

"What for?" Joan asked.

"I want to go to the Empire State Building,"Mika said excitingly. "I want to see the view from the observatory and take a picture of it."

"I don't think that would be possible sweety," Joan told her. "I think we are leaving tonight."

"Ah, but we haven't seen anything yet!" Mika protested. "We have been in the hotel every day."

"I'm sorry, but this was a business trip for your mom, not a vacation," she said." Maybe next time."

"Ahhh!" Mika said with a pout. Then she turned around and begin looking for something else to photograph. She turned to her left and spotted a boy few feet away from her. Her 4 and half year old little brother was crouching over a group of birds that were gathering in front of him. She pointed her camera at him and yelled loudly, so he could hear her, "_Dante_, look this way."

The auburn haired boy turn to face his older sister with a smile as she took his picture. Then he turned to Joan and extended his small hands at her. Joan had what was left of an ice cream cone; she broke a piece and crushed it in her hand into smaller pieces. Then she gave them to Dante who took them in both hands, and then proceed to toss the crumbs into the air. As soon as the crumbs hit the ground about a dozen birds swooped down from every direction and started eating them. Dante laughed and clapped; it was the first time he ever saw something liked that.

Mika was taking more pictures of her brother and the birds when she heard Joan yell behind her.

"**HEY…WHAT ARE YOU…LET GO**."

Mika turn about to find Joan wrestling with a man for her purse**.** She watched as the man ripped the item from Joan's hands and took off running in the opposite direction, leaving Joan yelling for somebody to stop him. There was no one around to do so.

When the thief had disappeared Joan turned to Mika and Dante**,** who after witnessing what happened**,** had remained frozen on the spot. With shaky hands, Joan reached out to grab theirs "It's OK, everything is OK. There's no need to be scared, everything is OK," she kept saying to them, but it sounded more as if she were reassuring herself of that.

After a moment, Joan was trying to decide what to do. "I need to call the police. No, I need to call your mom first," she kept saying. "OH! My cellphone was in my purse, my wallet too."

"Miss?" a girl voice called out to Joan from a distance.

Joan turn to looked at the girl who seemed to have come out off nowhere. "Miss, was that your purse that got stolen just now?" she asked.

"Yes, this guy just came and took it..." Joan responded.

"I think somebody caught him on the other side of the park," the girl cut her off.

"Really?" Joan said relieved. "Thank goodness."

"You better go there to see if that's the guy and talk to the police," the girl told her.

"Yes, I'll do that," Joan said as she took hold of Dante and Mika so that they would go with her, but the girl stopped her.

"You know..." she said "It would be best if the children don't go with you. I bet they are already scared enough after seeing something like that happen, and now dealing with the police and all would just scare them even more."

"If you want I can look after them for a little bit, while you deal with all this," she told her with a smile.

Joan seemed to hesitate at the proposal. "I'm good with kids. I babysit for my neighbors all the time," the girl continued, trying to persuade Joan.

Joan looked at the girl up and down. She looked like a normal high school girl. "But I can't," Joan hesitated**.**

"Don't worry," the girl reassured her. "I will stay here; you will be able to see us from the other side."

To Mika's horror Joan finally agreed**. **She had been trying to tell Joan that there was something terribly wrong with this girl. She was scary. At first she thought the girl had too much make up on, but now that she could see her better she was shocked by her appearance, so shocked she couldn't speak. To her the girl looked like a vampire from one of those scary movies she wasn't actually allowed to see.

Mika stood holding Dante's hand as she watched Joan leave them behind with the vampire girl. When she was out of sight, the girl turned to them with a cruel smile. "Don't worry, as I said I'll take good care of you." Mika pulled Dante closer to her. She was the older sister; she had to protect him.

The vampire girl started walking towards them. With every step, Mika could hear a metallic sound coming from her.

"Well, well, well," she said. "Why do you look so scared? Everything is OK. She is coming right back." She stopped a few feet away from her and Dante. "Do you like candy?" she asked Mika. "Now why don't you let go of that little boy for a moment, so you can eat this piece of candy I have here," she said, pulling out a chocolate bar from her pocket.

"It would make you feel a lot better. But I'm afraid I only have one, but I have something else for your brother." Mika responded to that by simply hugging Dante protectively and begun taking steps back from her.

Now the vampire looked annoyed. "What's wrong with you**?** I'm being nice." Then she seem to realized something. "I see you have good eyes, little girl. Listen, I do not want to hurt you, OK? It's just that your brother smells delicious," she said, sniffing the air.

"In fact, I have never smelled anything like him before."

Mika knew it; she wanted Dante for some reason**.** Many scary people always tried to approach Dante. It had happened before, but her mom always made them go away. Her mom! She wanted her mom. She wanted Joan to come back. She wanted someone to save them.

"OK fine**.** You'll be the appetizer, and he will be the main plate," she said to Mika baring her fangs at her.

Mika wanted to take Dante and run, but her legs weren't listening to her. The vampire reached out to grab her, but then she heard a voice calling her name.

"Mikayla, Dante there you are. I been looking for you all over the park."

Mika turn to looked in the direction the voice was coming from. She saw her mother walking towards them. "Is everything OK? Where is Joan?"

"Who's this?" her mother asked.

"My name is Melanie, Ma'am," said the girl to her. She was trying to hide her anger at her arrival. "The lady that was with them ran off somewhere leaving them alone. I was just trying to help them. Right?" she said glaring at Mika.

Mika was about totell her mother that she was lying and that she was a vampire that wanted to eat Dante, but before she got the chance, her mother continued the conversation.

"She did? Oh this is the third time she did something like this. That's set, she's fired," she said angrily. "Now I'll have to get a new babysitter."

Melanie smiled. "I'm a babysitter."

"You are**?** That is great. Are you available right now?" her mother asked her.

"Oh yes, at anytime."

"Great why don't you give me your number and I'll call you, so we can work something out."

"Mom, no she is**-**" Mika tried to warned her, but her mother cut her off. "Mika, mommy is talking right now**.** Why don't you take your brother and go wait for me over there." She pointed at a bench that was a few feet away from their location. "OK, I'll be right there in a moment," her mother told her.

Mika reluctantly obeyed**.** She took Dante's hand and led him to the bench. She turned to look at her mother, who was now walking away with the girl in the same direction that Joan had left. She watched as they made a turn and disappeared out of view. Mika was scared for her mother. What if the vampire hurt her?

Then Mika heard what it sounded liked a loud scream/hiss**,** "You...How?" Then she heard a second sound, a loud pop. Mika ran towards the sound, only to find her mother standing alone in the path. Mika looked at her. She was in the process of wrapping something in a handkerchief and putting it in her purse.

"Mom."

"Oh, Mika, where's Dante?" she asked. Mika turned to the bench. Dante was still there, looking at them. Her mother sighted in relief, and then she looked at her. "Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yes, but where is - "

"Oh don't worry, she is gone now. After talking to her I realized she did not fill the requirements to be your babysitter," she said smiling. "Now let's go find Joan."

Mika try to look past her mother. There was no sign of the vampire girl anywhere, but she noticed that there was an object laying on the ground behind her. She thought it resembled a human leg made out of metal. She was about to ask about it when her mother put her hands on her shoulders and said, "It's OK, you are safe now." With that, she spun her around, and then they begin to walk back to Dante.

(/)

Galetri was relieved to see that her children were both OK. She had arrived at the park only a few minutes ago, but the second she entered the park she knew where to go. It had been as if someone had been guiding her to them. When she found them, she immediately knew in how much danger they both where.

An Empousai had found them, luckily she had been able to deal with her quickly and without much trouble.

After making sure both Mika and Dante were completely unharmed**,** they went to search for Joan. They didn't have to look far**;** Joan was already on her way back to them. Joan explained to her what happened. She told her about the thief taking her purse, and the girl that told her he been caught in the other side. Weird enough Joan said she found her purse laying on the ground a few meters away, still with everything in it. She thought the thief probably had dropped it and got away.

"That's a good thing you were able to get your purse back," Galetri told her.

"Yes, what happened to the girl that was here?" Joan asked.

"Oh, after I got here she just left." Galetri could not blame Joan for what had happened. She knew her for a few years now she was a good babysitter and highly responsible. She knew there was no way she would leave the children with a complete stranger no matter what. The Empousai probably had used her powers on her to influence her decision. They were sneaky that way; she knew she had dealt with them before.

Anyway now they where all safe**.** That's what matter. Now it would be better if they leave before something else noticed them. She heard what the Empousai had told Mika, about Dante's smell. _His scent is already that strong,_ she thought. More monsters were bound to notice him soon. She would have to do something about that.

But now the priority was to leave New York at once.

"Mommy," she heard Dante's voice calling her from the side. She turned to face him, he looked at her with pleading eyes, and his hands on his stomach. "Dante, what's wrong?" she said, afraid that he been hurt, and she had missed it some how.

Dante smiled at her. Then with one single word he made clear his priority, "_Steak_." Galetri regarded him for a moment**.** Steak was Dante's code word for, "_I'm hungry_.**"** Then she realized Dante was completely unaffected by what had happened earlier. Unlike Mika, who still looked a bit shaken from her encounter with the Empousai, Dante looked as he had been having a good time.

Galetri guessed he was still too innocent to realize the danger in which he had been. Galetri smiled**.** _It's_ _best_ _he stays like_ _this just a little longer_. She looked at her watch "It's already late," she said noticing the time. "It's best if we go back to the hotel; we can eat there. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Galetri and her family were about to go back to the hotel, when she felt as if someone was watching them. She turned in the other side of the park she spotted a familiar 12 year old girl looking at them. The girl smiled and then vanished into thin air. Galetri turned back to Joan and the children and proceed to leave the park. Her final thought was for that girl.

_Thank you, my Lady._

_**To be continue**__..._

[A/N] Well that's chapter 2 hope you like it. Please let me know what you think of this story so far. I really want to know your opinions and suggestion so please review. OK I'll try to updated the next chapter by the end of this week, hopefully.


	3. Chapter 3

**REWRITTEN: All correction were made by NerdySkeleton. **

[A/N] OK here's chapter three it took me longer than expected but I hope you liked it. And to those that have taken the time to read my story and review thank you very much. At longest theirs a least one person who's reading I'll keep writing it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**Chapter Three**

At times like these, Galetri found peace among the stunning colors in her garden. Caring for the flowers gave her time to think, analyze, meditate, and work on those problems that troubled her most. There was usually nothing here but the silence of nature, although nature could never be called truly silent; at least a half dozen different birds sang from every direction, the insects clicked and buzzed, and the bees hummed around the inviting bright colored blossoms. It was therapeutic to sit on the polish teak bench while the wind sang around her as she enjoyed hand trimming the nubs with her finger tips. It was quite restful to her mind, body and soul.

But even the serenity she got from working on her garden wasn't enough to put her mind at ease, not this time.

The moment she had been dreading for almost 14 years had finally arrived. She got to tell Dante the truth about himself and about everything else. Well almost everything, there were certain things she was not allowed to tell him, yet. Those things will be left to his real mother to explain.

Galetri wasn't concerned about telling him that he was a demigod and all, but what scared her was the fact that she had to tell him that she wasn't his real mother and that Mikayla wasn't his real sister either. _What would he think of them then?_ _Would he hate them?_ _Would he want to see them again?_ These thoughts were the ones that worried her the most: Dante's reaction to the truth.

Over the years, she had come to love Dante like her own, and now the mere thought of losing him frightened her more than anything ever had. She always knew this day would come sooner or later. Lady Artemis wasn't a goddess that ignored her responsibilities, and this was not going to be the exception. A few weeks earlier, Galetri got a message from her saying that she was ready to claim Dante as hers, but she wanted him to be at camp for that.

That left Galetri with her current problem**;**she had been trying to find the right moment to tell him, but her fears always stopped her from doing so. Now her time was up. She had to do it now; the next day they would be on their way to pick up Mikayla from her boarding school, and Galetri had to take Dante to the camp before that.

She looked up from the flowers she was working on, to the second floor of the house. She let out the long breath that she had been holding. There was no postponing it this time she got up from the bench and walked inside the house it was time for her to face her fears.

(/)

The light coming through the window of the room eventually woke Dante up. He lay with his arms across his eyes. Groggy and dazed, he managed to roll to his side hoping that he would be able to go back to sleep. He had been having a lovely dream where he was eating an endless supply of steaks all by himself. He was trying to go back to that dream again, when the sound of someone moving about his room caught his awareness.

"Mom." He sat up. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning," she said, picking up some dirty clothes from the floor. "This room is a mess Dante**.** I thought I told you to clean up."

Dante looked at her, and then he turned to look at the time; it was only 11:30. "Mom, do you have any idea what time it is?" he told her. "It's too early to start doing chores." With that, he put the covers over his head and lay back on the bed again. An instant later the covers came off.

"It's almost noon," his mother said standing over him, "Now get up and get ready**.** When you're done, come down stairs. There's something important we must talk about."

Dante watched his mother leave the room with a pile of dirty clothes. Then he sighed, "I guess I don't have a choice."

Dante got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Then he walked back to his room where he put on some old jeans and a t-shirt, and then he finally went down stairs to find his mother waiting for him on the kitchen table. A bowl of cereal was waiting for him too.

He sat next to her,and then he took the cereal bowl and began eating, his mother watching him as he took each bite. The house felt empty with just the two of them at the moment; Joan had gone to visit her family up state, and Mika was still at her school. It was almost the beginning of summer, so they were going to go get her as the school year ended. Mika had been going to a private girls school all year long only coming back in holidays and such. Dante had wanted to go to school too. Due to his dyslexia and ADHD problems, his mom thought it was better for him to be home schooled instead.

It had not been so bad. Joan was an excellent teacher, and his mom also taught him things that he was sure they do not teach at any school. Still without Mika around, Dante didn't have anyone else to play or talk with. Dante was looking forward to seeing her again also; this summer was going to be special, they were all going overseas. His mother's company had a large project on Italy this summer. So she was going over there, and she was taking them with her like she always did. It would be the first time Dante would go up in a plane, so he was very exited about it. His mother of course was going for business, but Mika and him were going for pleasure.

Dante was making a mental list of all the things he was going to do when he arrived at Italy, but he was interrupted by the look that his mother was giving him. She appeared to be highly nervous about something; she hadn't taken her eyes off him at any moment since he came down stairs. Then he remembered there was something they were supposed to talk about. Dante finished the rest of his cereal he got up and took the bowl to the sink, and then he went back to sit at the table again.

"OK, so what is going on, Mom?" he asked. "What do we need to talk about?"

His mother tensed and remained silent for a moment as if she were trying to pick her words carefully.

"Mom**,** what is it?"

His mother sighed. "There's no easy way for me say this, Dante, so I'm just going to come out and say it," she warned him."But before I do let me tell you, this doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, and no matter what that's never going to change. You will always be my son."

"OK." Dante was confused. _What was she getting at?_ _Why was she __telling__ him all this?_

"Dante, I'm not your real mother."

With those words, Dante felt the whole world going cold around him. _She had to be joking! _Yeah that is what it was a joke. A real bad **joke**. Dante's head was all ready full with questions, but he only managed to ask the simplest one of all, "What?"

"I'm not your mother. Your real mother left you in my care right after you were born."

Dante didn't know what to think at the revelation he just got; a vortex of emotion was raging inside of him. He felt anger, sadness, betray, and a whole lot of other emotions that he was having a hard time trying to make sense of.

"Dante, please say something," his mother's pleading voice brought him back from his thoughts. _Say_ _something_. What could he possible say after been told something like that? He didn't know how he was supposed to act or feel. He didn't know anything anymore.

He was about to let his anger loose when he saw something that took it all away. The face of the woman that he been led to believe to be his mother for more than 13 years had tears running down her face. For some reason, that image hurt him even more that what he just discover about himself. Never in his life hadhe ever seen her cry before. She had always been a strong woman that did not let anything bring her down, no matter how grim the situation was. It was one of the many traits he admired her most for.

Dante looked at her. This was the woman that had taken care of him since he was a baby. The one that had stayed by his side when he got sick, and comforted him when he got hurt or scared of something. She was the woman that would put him first before anything else. This woman was his mother. It did not matter if he had come from her or not. She was his mother, and she would always be.

"Dante," she said again.

Dante got up from the table and went across to her, and then he hugged her. It took a second for her to realized what he was doing, but when she did she hugged him back with the same love she had always done it. Dante could feel her tears falling on him, and he could start to feel his own running down his face too. Then he managed to choke out a few more words, "It's OK Mom, everything is going to be OK." With that, she tightened her hold on him as she let out more tears.

(/)

Galetri didn't know how long had she been holding Dante in her arms, but by how much light was coming from the windows she figured that it had been a really long time. She was happy, very happy, that Dante still called her _Mom_. She was terrified that he hated her for keeping the truth from him for so long, but that didn't happen. She was so relieved to hear him say that word to her again.

She passed a hand through his hair, and then she separated from him just far enough to be able to see his face.

"Are you OK?" It was a stupid question she knew it, of course he wasn't OK but, she just had to ask.

"Yeah," he tried to smile. "I need some time, Mom, but I'll be OK."

With that, he let go of her and tried to go back to his room, but Galetri stop him. _They weren't done yet_.

"We still need to talk more." She grabbed his hand and led him to the living room. "I know that what I just told you is a lot to take, but there's still more that you need to know."

"Can we talk later?" she heard him say. "Right now I just want to go back to my room, please."

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but we must," she told him.

She sat across from him on the couch; well here goes the next part. "Dante about your…" she was about to say when Dante interrupted her.

"Does Mika knows, about me?" he asked her with a bit of concerned.

Galetri remained silent for a moment. "I'm not sure how much Mikayla knows. I think it's safe to assume she has figured out that you and her don't share the same father."

Dante looked confused. "Why would you think she knows that?"

"I have told Mikayla that I never saw her father again after I got pregnant," Galetri went on to explain. "She was almost five when you came to join us, so she must have come to that conclusion on her own."

"Oh," Dante said. "I never thought about that before. I guest now it makes sense why I don't look like you or her," he said with sadness.

"Dante like I said before that doesn't change the way I feel about you and I'm sure Mika feels the same way too," Galetri said reassuringly. "She loves you, for her, you will always be her little brother."

Dante simply nodded his head. Galetri could tell he was still trying to assimilate what he just learned, but she had to tell him everything. _He__ had to know_.

"Dante about your birth mother." Dante looked at her with anger. "Don't be mad at her;she did it for your own good."

"My own good," he said with an angry voice "How is abandoning me ever be consider to be for my own good?"

Galetri sighted. _This__ was going to be difficult after all_. "She didn't have a choice; it would have been dangerous for you to be discovered."

Again Dante looked confused. "What do you mean by dangerous? Who was my real mother?"

"That what I wanted to talk to you about," Galetri said. "Who you are? What you are?"

"What I am? Mom what are you talking about?"

Galetri was trying to find the right way to explain things to him. Then she had an idea**.** "Dante remember when you were little, the stories that I used to read to you and Mika."

"_Good __Night Moon_, what does that story have to do with anything?" Dante asked. "Not that story the other ones I used to read to you and Mika, you know about the Greek gods and all that," Galetri corrected him.

"Oh yeah, I don't remember any of them," he said to her. "Well they were boring. I fell asleep as soon you started telling them. Still I don't get why that is important?"

Galetri looked at him disapprovingly, "I had hoped you at least paid some attention to them."

"Liked I said, **boring**."

"Dante this was also part of your studies." Galetri had made sure that Joan included Greek mythology as part of her class schedule.

"Did Joan give you my report card? I failed world history," he told her.

"Yes, I know we'll talk about that later as well," she continued "Still you should know the basic things about them, right?"

Dante looked as if he was trying real hard to remember. "12 Olympian gods. Zeus is the king; he had two brothers: Poseidon and Hades and they always had affairs with mortals" he finish. "That's about everything I can remember."

At least he knows something Galetri thought. "I hope you learn more about them because believe me, your life will depend on it."

Dante gave her another puzzled look. "What do you mean by my life will depend on it?"

"Dante the reason why I always told you stories about the gods was to prepare you for when you meet them," she said.

"Meet them, Mom, they're just stories. The Greeks made them up to try to explain the world around them. The gods are not real," Dante replied.

"Be careful when you talk about them," Galetri warned him. "They don't like it when demigods disrespect them like that."

"Demi-what?"

"Demigods," she repeated. "That's the politically-correct name for children like you. Half-human, half-god; demigods."

Dante gave Galetri a _have you gone completely mad type_ of look.

"I know how it sounds Dante, but it's the truth; you are a demigod."

Dante still did not seem to believe her.

"The gods are very real Dante, and on occasions they still have affairs with mortals and have children with them."

"So you are saying that I'm the son of a god," Dante said in disbelief.

"Goddess," Galetri corrected him. "You are the son of a goddess, a very powerful goddess."

Dante remain silent for a long time as he processed the information, then he looked directly at her eyes as if trying to find the truth on them "You are not making this up, are you?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not, you are a demigod."

Dante still looked like he wasn't entirely convinced. Galetri was trying to figure out what else she could possible say to make him realize that she was telling him the truth. "OK… I'll go with it," she heard him say.

"What?" she asked him.

"I believe you. I'm a Demigod, so which goddess is my mother?"

Galetri could not tell whether he was playing with her or if he believed her, but she knew that would be the best she would get from him for the moment.

"I can't tell you that," she told him.

"Why not?"

"She has to claim you herself first, and for that, you must go to camp."

"Camp, What camp?" he asked with raised eyebrow.

"Camp Half-Blood," Galetri responded. "That's the place where all the demigods go to be trained. It's the place where they all learn how to defend themselves from the monsters."

"Monsters?" Dante let out in shock.

"Yes, monsters are real too. They always try to kill demigods whenever they can," Galetri went on to explain. "When a demigod find out who they are, their scent gets stronger, and monsters find them more easily."

"So now monsters will come after me?"

"Monsters had been coming after you for years. Dante your scent is unusually strong already," Galetri revealed. "I have kept them away from you all this time."

Dante seemed surprised at this. "You? How?"

A smile appeared on Galetri's face. "I have experience dealing with them. I know how to set traps for them as well. It was much easier when I was younger but even now that my body is older I have to say I still got it."

Dante didn't say a word anymore; probably he didn't know what to say, so Galetri continued. "Anyway we will be leaving for camp tomorrow. You will spend the summer there."

"**WHAT**?" Dante yelled. "I'm not going with you and Mika to Italy? Why?"

"Dante you have to go to camp, your birth mother wants it that way." Galetri tried to calm him down.

"I don't care what she wants; she's not my mother, you are. I want to stay with you and Mika and go to Italy."

Galetri hugged him one more time. "I want you to stay with me too, but trust me, this is for the best, and it's only the summer. So bare with it, OK?" After a moment, she could feel him relax on her arms, he had finally agreed.

Galetri forced him to look at her. She could tell he was upset about everything he just found out, but she was sure he would be able to deal with it in time. After all, he was the son of the famed Artemis; she already knew he had inherited her strong spirit and will.

Galetri smiled at him, "C'mon, let's go outside and make a barbecue together just like we used to."

Dante looked at her. "Are we going to make some steaks?"

Galetri let out a small laugh. _Steaks_. Dante's favored food in the world. He always liked to eat them whenever something upset him; they made him feel better.

"Yes, I think we still have a few in the fridge, so let's go."

And with that Dante and her went outside to enjoy the rest of the day. For the rest of that afternoon they forgot everything they talked about earlier and went back to being just a normal mother and son.

**To be continued...**

[A/N] OK... So there it's I hope you guys liked this chapter. Let me know what you think on your reviews, I welcome any suggestion you my have. I''ll try to update faster the next chapter OK. So until then see ya.


	4. Chapter 4

**REWRITTEN: All corrections were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] OK here is the next chapter. Someone suggested to me to try to make the chapter a bit shorter, so I'll give it a try. This chapter was supposed to be longer but I decided to cut it in half instead. So here it goes. And again I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Well_, Galetri thought, _it's early morning and at least we are almost there_. For a few moments, the last couple of days, she had doubts about making it all the way to camp. Now sitting on the driver seat of a rented car with Dante, she did feel much better about their situation even though Dante did not seem to agree with her. This time, anticipating a long drive Dante opted for the back seat of the car. Now he leaned forward, straining against his seat belt and holding on to the back of the front seat, so he could talk to Galetri. "So you really used to kill monsters back when you were younger?"

That was the thing about children. They didn't pull punches or monkey around with tact. Keeping her eyes on the road, Galetri nodded.

Dante paused, then asked simply, "Why?"

Galetri opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly all her thoughts were tumbling around in her head. "Why?" _She_ _couldn't tell him that yet__,_ she thought. Finally, she said the only thing she could come up with: "It's what I was good at. Back then I live only to hunt them"

Amazingly, this seemed to appease Dante, whose only response after a moment was, "Really...huh...weird."

The teenager sat back then, apparently to brood over Galetri's words. Galetri drove on, occasionally glancing in the mirror to check on Dante and worrying about what he was thinking. _Had he truly_ _accepted the idea of being a demigod so easily_? she wondered.

The minutes stretched out, turning into several hours before Galetri turned off to get to the road that had been her goal the entire time. _Farm Road 3.I4I _which was at the base of Half- Blood Hill. _They made it_.

Galetri brought the car to a stop**;** she got out of the car slowly, looking back at Dante. He had fallen asleep sometime ago, and now the lack of motion was pulling him back into the here and now.

Dante unbuckled his seat belt then climbed groggily out of the back seat of the car. When his gaze focused on the tree on top of the hill, his eyes brightened with interest. "Is this the place?" he asked. Galetri eyebrows rose, and she fought a grin as Dante went into full assessment mode. He remind her so much of his mother when he did that. Lady Artemis always made an assessment of her surroundings whenever she arrived at a new place for her hunt.

"Yes, this is it," she said.

He only looked back at her. "There's nothing here, Mom," he said, rubbing the back of his hand nervously across his mouth. "Are you sure you got the right address?" he asked her. "You could be wrong."

"No," Galetri said quickly. "This is the place I still remember." Then when she caught Dante's doubtful expression. She proceeded to tell him the words that she was certain he did not want to hear.

"Dante...Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

_**To be continue...**_

[A/N] Now I'm thinking that maybe I left it a bit to short. So what do you think? short or is this length better. Let me know what you think of this chapter in your **reviews**. Also about the mistakes in the spelling and grammar I'm trying not to make so many of them, but hey I'm still learning so writing this story is a good way to learn and improve my writing skills. I promised I'll fix them all eventually. So I hope you stay with me.


	5. Chapter 5

**REWRITTEN: All correction were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] OK here is the next chapter. I was able to updated this one faster because originally this was the second half of chapter four. So is bit longer that the one before. I'm trying to make the chapter not to short and too long either. So let me know if you think this chapter. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_Welcome to Camp Half Blood!_ Dante keep repeating those words in his head over and over again. Every time frustration built up inside him. He didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be a demigod; he just wanted to be normal teenage boy again. Dante wanted to stay with his mother Galetri and go with her and Mika to Italy, and have lots of fun over there. But NOOO, he was going to be stuck in some stupid camp just because his real mother, _who ever she was_, had decided that she was finally ready to be one.

"The camp is on the other side of this hill," his mother voice broke through his thoughts. "You just have to..."

"I'm not doing it," Dante interrupted her.

His mother gave him a puzzled look, "Dante," she said.

"I'm not staying here. I don't want to," Dante told her.

His mother frowned deepened. "Dante we talked about this, we agreed that..."

"No," Dante cut her off. "We agreed I was a demigod, we never agreed that I would come here. C'mon, Mom," Dante said in a low voice. He sounded very close to outright pleading with her. "Let's go pick up Mika in D.C. and go to Italy together and we'll give this camp thing another try next year."

"Dante we can't," she said flatly. "You have to stay here."

"But I don't wanna," Dante said a little more forcefully than he had intended.

Galetri folded her arms and regarded him with frustration. "Dante you have to, OK. You are not having your way this time. End of discussion," she said firmly.

The look that she was giving him told Dante she actually meant it. "Fine," he said, finally surrendering to her. "Dammit," he muttered after, a little too loudly.

The back of his neck tickled a warning, and when he turned, Dante grimaced when he saw his mother looking at him with a reproachful expression. He didn't have to hear the _Don't use that language!_ to feel like his hand had just been invisibly smacked.

Dante sighted. "So what now?" he asked.

His mother's scowl softened as she realized that he finally gave in. "I know this is hard for you Dante, but you have to do this. It's for your own good**,**" she said trying to reassure him.

_For my own good_, Dante only gave her a careless shrug. "Whatever. So are we gonna do this or what?" he asked her after an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"From here on you're going alone," she answered. "This is as far as I can take you."

"What?" Dante asked immediately. "You are not coming with me?"

Galetri's lips pressed together. "No I can't; mortals are not allowed to cross the borders of the camp."

Dante blinked. "But I thought you told me that you been here before."

His mother eyes widened. "Yes, I have..." She spread her hands. "But that was many years ago. I was a completely different person so to say." She let her voice trail off and her gaze traveled over to the top of the hill. "I'm not that person anymore."

When Dante focused on her quizzically, she inhaled deeply then a smiled stretched to her face. "But that's something we'll talk about later," she said. "Now," she continued. "I... have something to give you." She reached into her purse and pulled an object that was wrapped in a handkerchief. She unwrapped it and revealed a knife. A silver-bladed hunting knife, she drew it from its sheath, swiping it through the air with fluid movements and admirable precision.

Dante watched her for a second; he knew his mother was an expert in self-defense. She had taught both Mika and him how to fight. Also, she was quite adept with different types of weapons, particularly swords and knifes. She was real good with bows and arrows too. Dante had learned from her how to used them properly on a battle or when he went hunting in the woods. But he had never seen her used that knife before.

She sheathed the knife back in, then she handed it over to him. Dante took the knife and gazed at it. "That's the only thing I have left from my days fighting monsters. Take good care of it, it could save your life," she told him.

His mother stared at him for a moment. "You have to go to the Big House and introduce yourself to the camp director Mr. D..." she began explaining to him. "And the camp administrator Chiron. They'll know where to put you until you're claimed."

"Where to put me?" Dante asked.

"You will find out what I mean," she simply said. "Also send me an Iris message once you have been claimed OK. There's some other things we must talk about."

"Uh.. a what-message," he asked, confused.

"Don't worry you'll learn everything soon enough."

She took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around him then she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Don't do anything reckless. Stay inside the borders at all times OK. You'll be safe that way."

She let go of him, and pointed for him to go on to the hill. Dante could tell she was trying her best not to cry. So for both of their sakes he decided to speed up the farewell. "Tell Mika hi for me and don't forget to bring me back a present from Italy," he reminded her. "Well see you at the end of the summer mom. Bye."

With that he turned and began walking to the hill.

Dante was about to reach the foot of the hill when he heard his mother calling him. "Dante."

He turned back to look at her.

"I love you," she yelled at him from the road.

"MOM!" Dante began to look around to make sure that they were entirely alone.

"Dante," his mother repeated. "I LOVE YOU!" She wanted him to say it too.

"Mom, go away now."

"Dante."

Dante felt his cheeks redden. "Fine...I love you too. There."

Galetri smiled and waved at him goodbye. Dante watched as she got into the car and drove away.

Once she was gone from his sight he turned and began walking to the top of the hill.

"That was so sweet."

Half way to the top Dante heard a voice saying that to him. He look up and saw a girl watching him from the top of the hill with a smirk on her face. For a moment, he was completely unable to speak. His mouth worked as he tried to find a few words, but the only thing that came out was, "Uh..."

The girl watched him for a moment then she began to do an exaggerated version of Dante. "**I LOVE YOU** **MOMMY...I LOVE YOU SO MUCH...**" The teenager laughed outright. "Momma's boy."

Dante flushed with embarrassment and aggravation. The girl tossed her head and turned as if she were going to walk out in a huff, but before she did she gave Dante one last satisfied look. Then she proceeded to walk to the other side of the hill.

Dante watched the girl disappear in the other side, then he grunted. The summer had just begun and it already officially _**!SUCKED!**_

"_Thanks a lot mom."_

**To be continue...**

[A/N] OK let me know what you think of this one in your reviews. Also I would like to know if you guys think that preferable to have long chapters or short chapter in a story. About getting a beta yeah I been thinking about doing that, but I'm not 100% sure how that works exactly. If some one could explain it to me I will greatly appreciate it. Well see ya.

**Next Chapter**: Dante tries to adjust to the life in camp but is not easy. Also Dante gets to finally meet the Hunters of Artemis but not in a friendly way.


	6. Chapter 6

**REWRITTEN: All correction were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] OK... This chapter came out longer than I expected so I had to cut it in half so that it wouldn't be so long. OK before anything else let me clarify a few things. First Artemis still a virgin. I have a good explanation for how Dante was born, but that comes later in the story. Second about my grammar/spelling I know I suck at that but I'm working on it. I'm hoping to get a beta to help me out soon. So just stay with me OK. An now back to the story Oh wait. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with. Now we are good to go.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER SIX**

Dante thought that after finding out the gods of Olympus were real and that he was the son of one, nothing else in the world could surprise him. _Obviously he was wrong._ Turns out, there were still things that could surprise him a lot. For example, a giant lizard chained to a tree on top of a hill. _Yeah!_ _That_ _was quite surprising._

_A dragon_, Dante thought rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. He reached the top of the hill only to find a real dragon sleeping under the pine tree. His mother hadn't said anything about this. _Was he suppose to fight it?_ The dragon woke up and observed Dante, smoke coming from its nostrils with every breath. After a moment, it went back to sleep obviously thinking Dante wasn't worth its time or effort.

Dante was grateful for that and decided to walk around the dragon at a respectful distance. After leaving the dragon behind, Dante focused on what he was supposed to do now. From the crest of the hill he saw an old farm house about a mile away and beyond that he could distinguish several other constructions. He figured that must be the camp.

After a short walk, Dante made it to the farm house. There were three people outside on the porch having a conversation. "Are you sure nothing has come yet?" he heard a girl ask a man in a wheelchair. "It should have arrived by now."

"I don't know what to tell you, Thalia?" the man in the wheelchair responded. "But there was no delivery for Artemis today either."

_Artemis_, she is one of the goddess of Olympus, right? Dante tried to remember what he knew about her.

"But it has been three days already," he heard the girl protesting some more.

"Sorry Thalia maybe tomorrow," the man said noticing Dante on the side.

"Well hello young man can we help you with something?"

Dante approached them. "Uh...yeah... I'm looking for Mr. D. I just got here and..."

"Wonderful a new camper..." the man interrupted him cheerfully. "You heard that Mr. D."

Dante noticed a second man sitting in the back drinking a diet coke. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and was a bit porky. "Yeah, that just made my day," the man said sarcastically.

The man in the wheelchair cleared his throat then he adressed the girl again. "Thalia, do you mind if we continue this later?"

The girl shoulders rose as she inhaled a long breath. "Fine," she told him. "You will let me know as soon as the packages come, right?" she asked.

"Absolutely," the man told her.

The girl name Thalia put her hands on her hips and took a step in Dante's direction. She was wearing what Dante thought were hunting clothes. The girl look smashing on them, the only thing Dante found weird with her outfit was the silver tiara on her head. As the girl passed by, Dante smiled slightly, then looked at the girl hoping she would give him a smile back. She pause a moment, then looked at him expectantly. "What?" she said coldly.

"Nothing," Dante said quickly, taking back the smile. The girl gave him one last look before she headed down the path.

"Well," the man in the wheelchair said, bringing Dante's attention back to him. "And what would be your name, young man?"

"Uh...Dante. Dante Crescent."

"Well nice to meet you Dante. I'm Chiron the activities administrator," he said smiling "...And this is our camp director Mr. D."

He pointed to the man behind him who didn't seem to care one way or the other about Dante.

"You might know him as Lord Dionysus, God of Wine."

Dante's eyes open wide.

_He is a god__,_ Dante thought, _he doesn't look like one_. Then he remembered his mother telling him that the gods took offense at the slightest thing, so for safety he chose to keep quiet and only nodded his head, pretending he knew that already.

"Again welcome to Camp Half-Blood; you do know why are you here, right?" Chiron asked.

"Because I'm a _demigod__,_" Dante said calmly. He already came to terms with that and surprisingly he accepted it.

"Good, now one more question." Chiron continued. "Would you happen to know who your Olympian parent is?"

"No," Dante told him. "That's why I'm here to be claimed by my real mother."

"Your real mother? So you know you're the son of a goddess." Dante nodded his head at the older man's assumption.

"That's what my mom said, uh...the woman who has been raising me until now," Dante said as he felt he needed to explain.

"I see, we'll just have to put you in cabin eleven for now," Chiron informed him. "Just let me get out of this chair, and I'll give you a tour around camp," he said as he tried to get up from the wheelchair.

Dante thought he should help him up, but then Chiron pressed down a button on his chair that sprung a mechanism on it. Chiron began to get up and to Dante's surprise Chiron didn't stand on two legs but on four. The man had a horse body from the waist down. Dante was speechless.

Chiron rolled his eyes in amusement. "Yes I'm a centaur. I like to keep my self concealed to try not to scare the new campers." He chuckled to himself, but he looked pleased at Dante's expression.

"Well, should we get going?" Chiron asked Dante.

"Yeah," Dante responded getting over his shock. As Chiron led the way Dante dug a hand into his unruly hair and tugged, an odd gesture he always did. There was nothing like a good stinging on your scalp to convince you that you weren't having a nightmare, and that you were experiencing something real.

As Chiron showed Dante around camp. He couldn't stop feeling as if he had been transported in time hundreds of years back. There were kids of all ages both boys and girls wearing armors, carrying shields, swords, and spears as if was the most natural thing to do.

"So how long it would take for me to know who is my real mother?" Dante asked Chiron as their tour was ending.

"Now days the gods claimed their children a soonest they arrived here, or by their thirteen birthday," Chiron explain. "I'm almost fourteen," Dante told him. "My birthday is not until October 31st."

"In that case I believed you'll probably be claimed between now and then. When exactly? Only your Olympian parent knows." Chiron said; it would seem he had this conversation before.

"Well I'm only here for the summer," Dante said. "My mother Galetri told me I would be claimed the moment I got here."

Chiron stopped in his tracks and then turned to look at him. "Galetri?" he said. "Galetri Crescent is the woman who raised you?" he asked Dante in a strange voice.

"Yeah, you know her?" Chiron let his eyes wander around. They had arrived at the place where the cabins were. They were two sets, one group of twelve formed a "U" and another larger group formed a circle around them. Dante followed Chiron gaze to a silver cabin on the U group. There were a few girls outside talking. After a moment, Chiron shook his head. "No, it can't be," he simply said.

"What can't be?" Dante asked him curiously. From Chiron's expression, he could tell he was thinking of something.

"Nothing," Chiron said after a moment. "Let me take you to cabin eleven, so you can leave your stuff there and rest until it's time for dinner."

"Chiron," Dante heard a girls voice calling the old centaur.

"Ms. Blackspell," Chiron said at the girl walking towards them. She was in her early teens, maybe thirteen or fourteen, with a round-ish face and shoulder length dark blonde hair.

"Are you done with guard duty?" Chiron asked her.

"Yes," the girl said to him, but she was staring at Dante. Chiron noticed this and proceeded to introduce them. "Dante Crescent, this is Abigail Blackspell."

"We already met," the girl said to Dante's surprise

"We have?" he asked her. He was sure he would remember meeting a girl like her before.

"Don't you remember on top of the hill? When your mom dropped you off." Then she mouthed the words _momma's boy_ to him. Dante was careful to keep himself calm; she was the girl who had make fun off him earlier. "Oh, Chiron I almost forgot," she said addressing the horse man. "Clarisse needs you in the arena, I think there's about to be a fight between the Aphrodite kids and the hunters, again."

Chiron sighted "I see, I better get down there before a tragedy happens."

Then he turned to look at Abigail. "Abby would you be so kind to show Dante to cabin eleven for me."

Abby smirked. "Sure Chiron, my pleasure."

Chiron smiled. "Good, Dante I leave you in good hands. We'll talk later some more."

Dante watch Chiron gallop to the arena in the other side, then he turned to face Abby. "I'm not a momma's boy."

The teenager's smiled stretched across her face. "You could have fooled me," she said turning around and start walking away from him. Dante followed her.

"What is your problem?"

Abby didn't say anything she just continued smiling; it was obvious she was enjoying making Dante mad.

"So, who is your Olympian parent?" Dante decided to change the subject to show her that she wasn't getting to him "I'm from cabin sixteen," she said as if that supposed to tell him everything. When she noticed Dante's confused face, she added, "My mother is Hecate. Goddess of Magic."

"Oh," Dante simply said. She didn't speak again after that, so he tried to start conversation. He didn't like uncomfortable silence. "You said something about hunters. Was that some kind of club?"

He hoped he was right. Dante loved to hunt, so he would definitely like to join in.

"Something liked that." Abby shrugged carelessly. "They are the immortal maidens of the goddess Artemis," she said levelly, but her eyes said otherwise; they looked bitter.

"It seems you don't like them," Dante pointed out.

Her brown eyes bored into Dante's. "They're just a bunch of girls who think they're better than us just because they're always with Artemis," she said. "They wouldn't be so smug if we had won last night."

"Won?"

"Capture the flag," she told him. "It's a competition we have here. Normally it's between cabins, but whenever the hunters come we compete against them."

Dante had a feeling that her anger towards the hunters had to do with more than just losing to them on a game. But he decided not to ask about it.

"So if the hunters are always with Artemis, how come they're here now?" Dante changed the subject again.

Abby frowned "I don't know. Apparently they are waiting for a package to arrived here or something like that."

"A package." Dante remembered the girl in the farm house asking Chiron if a package had been delivered. So she was a hunter; that explains her clothes.

"Here we are," he heard Abby telling him. "This is cabin eleven."

Dante looked at the cabin. Out of all the cabins he had seen on the camp this one looked the most normal. "Travis and Connor will be in charge of teaching you how things work here." Abby let him know. "One little piece of advice: keep an eye on your stuff."

Dante look at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"This is Hermes cabin, you know the God of Thieves. So naturally his children are born with sticky fingers," she warned him. "One moment you have all your stuff with you, the next you are buying it all back on eBay."

With that she left Dante standing in front of the cabin door. "See you later, momma's boy!" she added at the very end as she was leaving.

"I'm not a momma's boy," Dante yelled after her, but she was gone already. After a moment Dante went inside the cabin wondering what other surprises were in store for him this summer.

_**To be continue...**_

[A/N] So that was it. I should be able to put the second half on the next chapter. I do hope I didn't do so many mistakes on this one as I did the others. But like said I'm working on it. So let me know how I did on your reviews OK see ya


	7. Chapter 7

**REWRITTEN: All corection were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] OK here is the next chapter. First thanks for your support a lot of people are telling me that they like it even with all my mistakes so thanks for that. Also thanks for pointing out some of my mistakes. I been trying to fix the most obvious one's but those little one's I keep over looking. So thanks for telling me about them I already start working on them. But enough about that lets continue with the story. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_Dante was in front of a huge mansion that he didn't recognize. He heads for the main entrance across a meticulously manicured lawn that separates the front of the mansion with that of a pool area. _

_The front door to the house is wide open. _

_Puzzled, Dante stands in the foyer and looks around, but no one's inside. After a few indecisive moments, he climbs the long, curving staircase that leads to the second floor. The polished oak steps are well made and don't make a sound beneath his weight; at the top of the staircase, he turns left and heads down a hall. His eyes focused on a black door__**.**_ _Dante nearly steps in the thick pool of blood that is seeping from beneath. _

_He skids to a stop and stares at the crimson puddle creeping into the fabric of the carpet, feeling terror rush into his throat and build a lump that threatens to cut off his breathing. Dante heard the sound of something moving in the other room. His heart is thundering in his chest, the sound of his own blood rushing so loudly through his arteries that he can barely hear his own voice as he pushes open the door. _

_"__Is_ _someone there?" _

_Something big and black hisses and shrieks at him, Dante threw himself backward as a demon __launched_ _at him. _

Where was he?

He was in a bed, but not his. It was a bunk bed in a cabin somewhere in Long Island. Yeah he remembers now, _Camp Half Blood_. Dante realized his hands were clenched into fists around the top sheet. He forced his fingers to let go so he could scrub at his face. Moving carefully, Dante brought his legs to the side of the bed. He peered around, but there wasn't much to see. The cabin he was in was quite plain, there were about a dozen more bunk beds, the windows had light-blocks shades, and there was almost nothing on the walls except a few posters and some pictures other campers had brought to make this place more like home.

"You're up," he heard someone say to him. It was a tall boy with a pointy nose, Connor. Or was it Travis? He still could not distinguish the twin counselors of cabin eleven.

"Everyone is gone to breakfast."

Dante noticed that he was the only one left in the cabin. "You know you sleep like a log, we been trying to wake you up for a while now," the Travis or Connor guy said.

"Sorry about that," Dante said trying to figured out who he was.

The boy smiled. "Travis."

"Travis, I knew that."

"Come on Connor already took everyone down to the mess hall, so get ready, and we'll go join them." Dante took no time getting dressed; when he was done he made his way across the cabin to the other side. Travis was waiting for him.

The mess hall was as Dante remembered it from the previous night. There were a little more than twenty tables in the hall some them had few campers, but not that manytable were full. The Artemis table seemed to be the only one with a large group. A little more than dozen girls sat at it, including the girl with the tiara on her head that Dante met when he arrived at camp. Travis and Connor explained to Dante that this was only the year-rounders in the next couple of weeks more campers were going to arrive for the summer.

After breakfast Travis and Connor led the Hermes cabin to the arena for sword practice. The class instructor was a tough looking girl named Clarisse La Rue from the Ares cabin. The girl took it upon herself to teach Dante how to properly use a sword. She turned out to be one brutal teacher, leaving Dante on the floor with bruises all over his body.

"Come on you can't be this weak," she told Dante after she made him visit the floor for the third time.

"I'm not," Dante snapped at her as he was trying to get up. "This sword doesn't feel right."

It was the truth; the sword Dante had borrowed for practice felt heavy on his hand. He wasn't used to it. If he had to fight, he would prefer to do it with his hands or with a smaller weapon like a knife. That was the way his mother Galetri had taught him.

"Every demigod must know how to used a sword," she explained to the class. "Even if is not your weapon of choice. I mean look at me, I'd rather fight with my spear, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't know how to use a sword too."

When she finished making her point she aimed her sword at Dante. "Come, show some guts and try again."

Dante rolled his eyes and took a deep breath then raise his sword and charged at Clarisse. "That's the spirit," she said with a smirk.

At the end of the day, Dante found himself hungrier than he'd thought, and he wasn't sure if his appetite was up because of the training, the food or both. He couldn't recall the last time he had eaten a meal this large.

"Easy Dante," he heard Connor telling him. "You're going at it like a wolf."

Dante stopped eating when he realized Connor was watching him. "Uh..." He felt a little self conscious now that the entire Hermes table was fully focused on him.

"The food is good," Dante told them. The entire table burst into laughs**.**

"Dude we are just kidding," said Travis. "There's no need to get embarrassed."

Dante looked from them back to his food plate. "Huh," he said but his expression had gone from flustered to pleased. And Dante wasn't sure if it was because of the whatever you wish for food service or if he was staring to actually like this place. Either was quite possible.

Later Dante decided to get up from the table first and go out for a walk before curfew. He walked down the beach before he sat down on the shore. Closing his eyes he could hear the water crashing on the surf, a sound that was both soothing and restless, never ending.

Dante could also hear footsteps coming behind him, and made him turn Abby was standing there smiling at him. "Still alive I see," she said. "I was certain by now you would have called mommy and asked her to take you home."

"What do you want?" Dante demanded without preamble.

Abby raised one eyebrow as she sat down next to him. "Nothing just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing fine. A little beat up, but I'll live."

She chuckled to herself, but she looked pleased. "Most newbies can't stand being Clarisse's punching bag for a whole practice. So you're tougher than you look, momma's boy." Dante frowned and opened his mouth, but Abby held up a hand. "I know. _I'm not a_ _momma's boy_."

They sit together watching the moon reflecting on the water. Dante noticed that Abby was sitting a little to close to him. He didn't understand why she was making him so nervous, but he was quickly trying to come up with another topic to talk about other than he being a momma's boy.

"What's your mother like?" Dante asked, hoping to keep the conversation from tumbling around back to him.

Abby's face darkened. "I don't know I never met her."

Dante felt his throat tighten, and he gave her a chance to continue. He knew first hand how it felt not knowing what your real mother's face looks like. "Do you have more family?" he asked when she didn't offer any more information.

"I did," she said hoarsely "I had a sister, but she died."

Dante looked away for a long moment, and then met her gaze again. "I'm sorry."

For a second, Abby looked surprised that she had shared such a hugely personal piece of trivia about herself. "I should go," she said abruptly. "It's almost curfew; we don't want to get caught outside by the harpies."

Dante expression fell. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know," Abby said, cutting off his words. "See you momma's boy."

She headed back to the camp leaving Dante feeling guilty about making her remember something like that. Dante remained on the beach for a few more minutes, before he headed back as well.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] OK So I hoped you guys like this one. Let me know how it was on your reviews. Also I would like to hear your ideas and suggestion about how the story should go. Or if you just one to tell me what other mistakes I did that's fine too.


	8. Chapter 8

**REWRITTEN: All corections were made by NerdySkeleton.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Dante sat up with a gasp; he had been dreaming, another nightmare. He was soaked with sweat, and his feet were tangled in the sheets and he had to fight to get free. His eyes were wide open, and his mind was crawling around the memories of the dream, the mansion, the blood, the monster. Funny how tired he could be, limbs leaded and slow; his blood so thick and sluggish that it felt like his heart could not even pump that stuff. Still he was wide awake, his gaze skimming the darkness like a predator hunting for fresh blood in the middle of the night.

He made himself get up and go to the bathroom, making sure not to make a sound that could disturb the others in the cabin. After washing his face with cold water, he finally went back and climbed into his bed. Hopefully he could go back to sleep without having any weird dreams.

Dante was lying diagonally across the bed when the sun crested the horizon. Despite everything he went through the previous day, the brutal training session with Clarisse, and the tiredness he felt afterward there had been no sleep for him this night. He had spent most of the night turning on the bed trying to sleep, but still rest had eluded him. And now for sure he certainly wouldn't find it with the sunshine burning its way through the windows shades and his eyelids. Exhausted and sore, he dragged himself up and off the bed; as he did the other six members of the Hermes cabin began to awake.

"You're up early," said Connor stretching himself on his bed.

"Been up for a while, couldn't sleep," Dante replied.

"OK campers," Travis said clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "We got to move today; we get the showers first, so lets go."

Dante was the first to get his stuff and reach for the door. He pushed through it into the moisture-laden morning air. For some reason the scent of the outdoors made him feel better, like he belonged outside in the wild.

It didn't take long for the Hermes cabin to finish using the showers, and start heading back to their cabin to finish getting ready for breakfast.

"So what's in the schedule today?" Dante asked Travis at the Hermes table.

"We have archery class with Chiron in the morning," Travis told him between bites. "Later is sword practice for you again."

"Why just me?" Dante asked him, concerned. He wasn't looking forward to being beat up by Clarisse again so soon.

"Clarisse said that you need the training," Travis said putting a piece of bacon in his mouth. "Plus, there's a few new campers, so she needs someone to... uh, _help her_ teach them the basics." The way he hesitated told Dante that "help her" wasn't exactly the reason why Clarisse wanted him.

"Can't someone else _help her_?"

"Nope," Travis shrugged, "she's in need of someone that can last the whole practice with her. Also Connor and I told her that you would do it," Travis continued.

Dante studied him for a moment. "Why would you tell her that?"

Travis looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "We agreed that you would do it in exchange for getting the shower's first."

Dante's lips pressed together. "So at long as she can beat me up every day we get hot water in the mornings."

Travis smiled. "Yeah, way to take one for the team," he said patting Dante on the back. Dante was not happy about the agreement, but there was nothing he could do about it the deal was made. He would just had to accept it.

Dante finished the rest of his breakfast then he went back to cabin eleven. He had asked if they were allowed to used their own bows in archery class. They were, so before the class began he went back to get his bow from his bag. Hopefully it would still be there and he wouldn't have to go looking for it on eBay.

He went inside the cabin and grabbed his bag from underneath his bunk. He took all his clothes out and found a long rectangular box at the bottom. He pulled out and pried it open and began assembling the contents.

The Martin Cougar Elite compound bow took shape rapidly beneath his experienced hands, and he barely had to think about what went where. With a final tightening of the limb bolts, Dante shouldered the Martin and stood up. It took him less than five minutes to get back to the range.

The campers were already shooting targets and holding competitions among themselves. Each camper would shoot ten arrows and the one with most near the center won. _Simple enough_, Dante thought. He also noticed several campers giving the evil eye to a group of girls that were shooting arrows at their targets with incredible accuracy. The Hunters of Artemis were also using the range for practice today.

"There you are, glad you could join us**.**"

Dante spun, surprise flashing across his features. Chiron was coming towards him; he still was getting used to seeing a real live centaur.

"Are you ready to show us what you got?" he asked Dante noticing his bow.

"Yeah," Dante answered.

"Good you're next."

Dante stepped up to the range and grabbed an arrow from a quiver. He brought up the compound bow and pulled back on the bowstring. His hand was steady as he aimed at the target. Inhaling a long breath, he released the arrow. The arrow shot through the air and hit the target right where he had intended to, right in the center.

Chiron glanced at him in amazement. "Nice shot. Care to do it again?"

Dante repeated his action a couple of times, every time producing a perfect shot.

"You're a natural," Chiron said. "Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

"My mother Galetri taught me," Dante said automatically.

"Yes, Galetri I should had expected that," Chiron scowled and took a step toward Dante. "Do you know why your real mother left you in her care a not with your mortal father? That's what most goddesses do when they have children."

Dante eyes widened he had not thought about that. _Who was his father?_ _Why hadn't he __taken_ _care of_ _him?_ Dante lowered the bow and looked straight into the centaur's face. "You know something don't you?"

Chiron hesitated then he said, "No, I only have one impossible theory of whom your mother might be."

"Who do you think it is?" Dante asked curious Chiron was holding back on him he knew it.

"Oh look, you have a challenger" Chiron said relieved to have an excuse to change the subject. Dante turn to find a girl with a bow next to him. She had pale skin and a mass of dark curly hair that spilled across her shoulders. She looked about a year younger than him, and would have been pretty if she hadn't looked like she was mad at him for some reason.

_A hunter._

The girl took an arrow and prepared to shoot, but held her posture and waited. Dante got the message she wanted to compete with him. _OK that sounds fun_. Dante took and arrow and adopted the same position as the girl. They both shot arrow after arrow at their respected targets. When they finish Chiron went over to inspect each target. Then he pointed at Dante's and said, "The winner." A look of surprise appeared on the girls face; she immediately began looking from Chiron to Dante.

"That can't be," she said disbelieving.

"I believe it is," Chiron told her. "Dante got one more accurate shot than you."

The girl turned to Dante. "Again," she commanded.

Dante blinked. "OK."

They repeated the session one more time ten arrows each. Chiron waited until they were done shooting before he inspected the targets. "The winner," he said pointing at Dante's target again.

Dante almost laughed at the girl's reaction. "Again?" he asked.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Again," she said in a frigid voice.

Dante prepared to do it again as he grab an arrow he noticed every one on the range were now looking at them including the other hunters. This time both archers didn't stop until their quivers where empty. Like before Chiron inspected the targets once they finished shooting taking longer on each one. Then he turn to face them everyone waiting for him to declared the winner. "Dante wins," he said after a few suspenseful moments.

Dante only grinned.

He could feel the unfriendly gazes of the hunters on him. Perhaps he should have been bothered by their displeasure, but he wasn't. He simply felt proud of himself. He crossed the range and headed to where the rest of the Hermes cabin waited to congratulate him. The rest of the morning went rather quickly, and before he knew it Dante was back at the arena with Clarisse.

_Thank god- oh gods_, Dante reminded himself, as he was giving thanks for Clarisse not feeling the need to beat him for the whole practice. Half way through she decided to let Dante practices with one of the new kids.

Dante partnered with a boy named Ian. He was short and stocky with curly black hair. If recalled correctly, Ian had arrived at camp a day after Dante, but he had already been claimed by his father Hephaestus. Dante couldn't help feeling jealousy about that he had been in camp almost a week now, and he still did not know who his mother was?

The class was an enjoyable thing to do now that Dante wasn't spending half of it on the floor. Ian and him were having a fascinating conversation about the newest video game that had come out as they crossed swords. All that came to an end when a girl stepped abruptly between them. Dante recognized her as the hunter that had challenged him earlier. "How about sparring with me now?" she told him. He could see the girl's level of competence rise immediately.

"No thanks," Dante said.

Dante signaled Ian with his hand letting him know that they should probably move to another area of the arena, but the girl followed them. She stepped up behind him and spoke, "Why not? You scared?"

Dante faced the hunter. "No." He paused, then added, "It's just that I'm practicing with Ian now." Dante turned to Ian for support, only to find out that, sensing the danger, he had already backed away from him several feet. When Dante looked at him he only mouthed "_Sorry._"

"It seems your partner is done with you. So I'll be your partner now."

"But it wouldn't be fair," Dante said shortly. The girl watched him for a moment. Dante tilted his head thoughtfully. "I'm used to fighting only with my hands, you see. I'm not good with a sword." He swung his sword and let it slip from his hand on purpose. "See I can't even hold it correctly. It wouldn't be a fair match."

"That's OK," said the girl making her small hand into a fist. "We hunters know how to fight with just our hands. We're experts at it."

_Of course, they were_, Dante thought, he was trying to come up with another excuse but couldn't think of one. So he decided to be blunt with the girl, "I just don't want to hurt you."

"Oh... dude that was the wrong thing to say**,**" Dante heard someone say behind him that's when he noticed the circle of spectators around them.

"You think you can hurt me**,** _boy_?" the girl snapped at him.

"Yeah," Dante said.

"That's it, you and me now," she yelled at him. It wasn't like Dante was afraid of her, if it would just be a friendly match he would gladly take her on. But he felt that with this girl it would not be friendly; it would be a real fight. He had never been in one, so he wasn't sure how far would he go if he were forced to it.

"I just don't want to fight, OK." Dante turned away ready to let the whole thing blow over. Then without warning, the hunter shot out a reverse kick.

She had thought she would catch Dante by surprise, but Dante swept the girl's kick to the side with out even looking behind him. Then he leaned slightly forward and swung his own leg hard into the hunter, taking the girl neatly off her feet.

Still, even if she wasn't anticipating it, she was good. Instead of falling the teen rolled into a cartwheel. Then came back after Dante, launching blow after blow, each of which Dante blocked, slipped, or parried effortlessly.

It wasn't until the girl's back bumped some of the campers that she realized she'd been slowly forced backwards. That it was Dante, not she**,** who was in total control of this battle, he wasn't even breathing hard. Feeling trapped, she upped her offensive, her punches and back fist coming faster and faster.

Dante had the suspicion that for this girl, there was more at stake here than just a fight. He noticed her eyes shifting to her side were her sisters were watching her. He understood in the girl's mind she had something to prove, a self-raking in the eyes of these girls that she so admired. She shot out with a hard punch.

Dante scooped her fist, then delivered a stinging, pride crushing slap to her face. He didn't hurt her**,** well not that much, but it had been more embarrassing than painful for the girl. Totally enraged now she stepped up her attack even more, becoming more and more frustrated. By now Dante thought that she must be realizing two things. That the harder she tried, the less energy Dante had to use to defend against her. Second, she would be an idiot if she kept fighting like that. But the girl seemed unable stop herself**;** she was desperate to connect at least one hit. It was partially a short time before she was panting and sweating and barely able to keep going.

And as any good warrior would, Dante moved in to take advantage of her opponent weakness.

He turned the tables, going smoothly from defense to offense. The girl barely managed to block the first of Dante's strikes, then she lost it altogether. She missed first one than another, taking light but humiliating blows on the side of her head and in her rib cage, shoulders, arms, and more. Some which she probably knew could have killed her had Dante been using all his force. Finally, she simply surrendered and collapsed to the ground, tears running down her face.

Dante let her cry for a moment. Then his face softened he walked to stand next to the girl. Then he said the only thing he thought might comfort her. "You're good. With more practice you'll be better than I am soon."

Instead of helping, it only made the teenager cry harder. "Get away from her" Dante barely manage to catch the knife coming at him. Dante stood back as the hunters crowded around their fallen sister.

"You think you're so tough," the girl who attacked him with the knife said. She was tall and broad shoulders like a well built swimmer. Her hair was short and yellow with a slight greenish tinge to it, like if her hair had been overdosed with chlorine. "How about fighting with me now?" She was about to launch at him when a voice stopped her. "Cassidy."

She hold her attack and turned to faced the girl calling her name. It was the girl with the tiara on her head, _Tanya_, no that wasn't it _Thalia_, Dante remembered. She walked calmly to Cassidy and told her, "That's enough." Cassidy seemed ready to argue but then seem to thought better, Thalia walked over to the sobbing girl. "It's OK Madison. You did well." Madison wrapped her arms around the older girl's neck and held on for all she was worth. Thalia didn't fight it, just let the girl hang on and held her back.

"Is she okay?" Dante asked them concerned. But his question was met by the angry glares that all the hunters were giving him, including Thalia. "Just get out of here**,**" she snapped at him.

Dante choose to obey and stared to walk away. As he did the entire arena burst into cheers. All the campers that had remained silent through the whole event gathered around him and began telling him what a good job he had done.

"You 're been holding back on us."

"Way to teach them."

"Well done Dante."

Were some of the things he could make out between cheers and whistles. "Good job," said an Aphrodite girl that had walked up to him. "Maybe you can teach me to do that some time."

"Sure," Dante said blushing.

After a few minutes Dante managed to get away from them and made to the exit. Before leaving the arena, he turned one last time to look at the hunters. Some of them were trying to comfort Madison. The rest were still staring at him.

Dante could only hope that whatever package the hunters were waiting for would just get here fast. He had a feeling that his problems where just going to get bigger the longer the hunters reamined at camp. At that time, Dante didn't know how right he was.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well there it is chapter eight. Sorry it took so long but I'm been busy. This chapter came out longer than expected so decided to cut it in half as well. I should be able to put the next part in a couple of days. So stay with me and let me know what you think of this one.


	9. Chapter 9

**REWRITTEN: All corection were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] So here is the next chapter of this story. Sorry it took longer this time but I was having small case of writer's block I just couldn't make this chapter exactly like I wanted, but after writing it and rewriting it over and over again I realized this was as good I was going to be able to make it. So let me know what you guys think of it OK. Almost forgot, good news I finally found someone brave enough to beta this story, but she's currently on a trip. But she said that she would help me fix this mess of story I doing when she gets back. So hopefully all the mistakes will be fix soon. Yeah I know finally. Well enough of that let go back to the story. Usual disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER NINE**

At dusk, Dante was sitting alone on the beach once again. Facing the ocean, he was enjoying the way the wind carried the salt spray from the waves over his face. The froth of the breaking waves was stark white against the water, and clumps of clouds were painted brilliant pink and red by the sun's final rays. You didn't get spectacular sunsets like this back where he lived.

He found it to be relaxing and that was what he had been hoping for when he decided to come to the beach after dinner.

It wasn't Dante's way to brood over things for too long, but he couldn't get the arena incident out of his mind. He mostly felt guilty about making the girl cry, and he could understand why he felt that way. It wasn't his fault. _Was_ _it_? The girl started it; he had only defended himself.

"Hey,"Abby's voice cut through the silence.

Dante turned and saw her standing over him. "How long have you been standing there?"

Abby shrugged. "Not long, just got here."

Dante managed to hide his frown but that bothered him. Usually he was the one who crept up on people, not the other way around. How had this girl manage to do that?

"I've been looking for you," Abby said. "I didn't see you in the sing along, so I got worried."

"You did? Why?" Dante asked her.

"Isn't it obvious? Because I'm in love with you," she confessed. Dante turned to face her, feeling his own face getting incredibly hot.

"You what?"

Abby's laugh made Dante realize the girl had been kidding. "Oh gods you should see your face. It turned all red," she said in between laughs. Dante turned his attention back to the ocean, feeling angry with himself for falling for a trick like that.

Abby stopped laughing and walked over to sit next to him. "So why are you here? You are not still think about what happened in the arena, right?"

"You know about that?"

"Everyone is talking about it," Abby said. "How you beat one of the Hunters of Artemis and made her cry on top of that, brilliant," she said amazed.

"I didn't mean to make her cry," Dante protested. "I told her I didn't want to fight."

Abby looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Is that why you have the long face? Because you feel bad for her? You shouldn't," Abby continued. "That hunter wouldn't feel bad if she had made you cry like everyone expected. She would probably be making fun of you right now."

"I guess you're right," Dante acknowledged, then he turned to her. "What do you mean by 'everyone expected me to cry'? Is that because I'm such a momma's boy?"

Abby gave him a big smile. "There now was that so hard to admit?"

Dante met her gaze and frowned "No I'm not admitting it because I'm not a momma's boy."

Abby started laughing again and to Dante's surprise he smiled slightly at her. He also noticed that, for some reason, Abby was making him feel better too. Abby stopped laughing when she realized Dante was watching her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing I just...Uh it's nothing," he said.

Dante and Abby remained sitting on the beach for a while, just talking. Dante learned a lot of things about Abby he didn't know. Turns out before coming to camp she had lived on Maryland with her father, who she said it was always drunk and never cared about her. Then she told him about all the different schools she had gone to, and the reasons why she got expelled from them. (Apparently that was a common thing for demigods to do.)

"So when she saw me talking to her boyfriend, I guess she got jealous or something, which I don't know why. I mean he wasn't even that cute and we were only talking about class work. Anyway she and her friends started picking on me, and one day I had enough. So I spill poster paint all over them, and of course I got suspended for that." Abby was in the middle of telling him the story of how she got her latest school expulsion. "Then when I returned to school I got into a big fight with them, and that's why I was expelled from the school. I used to get into lots of fights, but that was back in the days when my sister was..."

When she hesitated, Abby glanced to her side and remained quite. _Talk about awkward._ An uncomfortable silence fall between them. Not liking this, Dante decided it was time for him to tell her about his life. He told her about his mother and sister, about his classes with Joan and how he found out he was a demigod.

"Then the next thing I know I'm in this place."

"You had it easy," Abby said. She had remained silent for the whole time just listening to Dante. "Most demigods find out the truth about themselves normally after being attacked by a monster or something."

"Really? I guess I was lucky then."

They heard the sound of a horn coming from the camp; it was time for all campers to go back to their cabins. Abby and Dante walked back together, and before they reached the cabin area Abby gave Dante a warning. "You should watch out for the hunters," she said. "They don't let insults go just like that. A _boy_ beating one of them that's a pretty big one. So just be careful OK. But if you need any help with them come and tell me. I'd love to teach them a lesson too," she added at the very end.

Dante smiled. "Sure I'll keep it in mind. Thanks." With that, they both say their good byes and walked to their respected cabins.

The next day when Dante woke up it was close to daylight. The sky outside was growing brighter by the second. He remained on his bunk waiting for everyone else to wake up, as well. He was wondering if he would have to fight another hunter, _probably_, he guessed. Abby had worn him that they would not let it go, and he was thinking she probably was right.

Dante heard mumbling all around him then he realized everyone was finally starting to get up. He sat up on his bed and grabbed for his shower stuff from underneath his bunk. It didn't take long for the Hermes cabin to go through their morning routine. First they head for the shower blocks, then they went back to the cabin and finally they went to get breakfast. Dante remained at the cabin a little bit longer after everyone had left.

"Hey Dante hurry up OK," Travis told him as he guided the others to mess hall.

"Yeah! I'll be right there, I just need to grab something really fast." Dante searched through his stuff. "Where is that thing I know I put it somewhere in here... Oh there it is."

Dante pull out the hunting knife his mother gave him when she brought him to camp. _It could save your_ _life,_ she had said to him. At the time, Dante had thought his mother was probably exaggerating, but now with the hunters angry with him he though it would be better if he carried a weapon with him at all times. Just in case things got ugly between them.

Dante was walking back to the hall with the knife in his hand he stopped and drew it from it sheath. For the first time, he took a closer look at it. The silver blade was dangerously sharp; it also had a wicked looking black hilt. Dante had to admit the knife felt right in his hand better than any of the sword he had tried to used on the arena. He swept the knife back and forth in front of him following the same patter movement he had seen his mother do. _Yeah! This was his weapon of choice._

"Huh?" Dante turned around when he heard someone gasp behind him. A red haired girl was staring at him with very strange look in her eyes. Dante sheathed the knife back and put it away then he looked at the girl. "Can I help you with something?" The girl narrowed her eyes then without a word she ran past him straight for the mess hall. _Weird!_ Dante thought as he watched her go.

Dante walked inside the mess hall a few minutes later. He went over to the Hermes table and grabbed a plate. After getting the food he wanted for breakfast, he walk to the fire and drop a portion into it. The ritual was something that everyone claimed or unclaimed needed to do as an offering to the gods, but Dante thought it was just a waste of delicious food. He decided to do it anyway since he didn't want any trouble with the gods.

The hall seemed a lot more full this day that it had before, more and more campers had come in the last few days. Dante wonder exactly how many kids came to camp during the summer. They were already close to hundred, but Connor told him that was not even close to half of them yet. As Dante looked around his gaze fell on the Artemis table were all the hunters were chatting among themselves like they normally do. Dante felt relieved. Maybe they all had forgotten about what happened in the arena the day before. He was hoping that was the case.

Then he noticed three of the hunters glaring at him from their table. Dante recognized two of them; one was the red haired girl that had run into him outside the hall and the other was Cassidy the hunter that tried to slit his throat after he beat one of her sisters. The other girl he didn't know she had dark skin and her hair was braided, he was not sure but if all the hunters were standing she would be one of the tallest. All three of them were whispering something among themselves then they would give him a look that made him extremely uncomfortable. He had a feeling that they were talking about him and what ever it was they were discussing was not good.

The rest of the morning went rather quickly. It was Saturday, so all the campers had free time. They could choose to any activity they wanted; some choose arts & crafts, others went pegasi riding, or they went to the arena. Most choose to go swimming either on the lake or at the ocean if not they would simply just hang out and chill somewhere. Dante chose to go to the range and shoot a few arrows unfortunately he wasn't the only one. The hunters were there too. He had expected for them to challenge him again, but for some reason, they all seemed to be avoiding him. Dante had a suspicion that maybe that reason was their lieutenant Thalia.

While Dante was shooting at his target, he noticed Thalia was watching him intensely, something that made Dante feel uneasy, because unlike the other hunters who did not bother hiding their anger at him, Thalia seemed remarkably calm, and her expression was unreadable. The way she kept her eyes on him reminded Dante of a predator stalking its prey, just waiting for the right moment to strike at it.

Abby had told him that Thalia was a daughter of Zeus and was considered to be one of the most powerful demigods of this age. So Dante wasn't sure if there was a fight between them he would be able to beat her. Not wanting to find out, he decided to leave the range and find something to occupy his time for the rest of the day. Dante only could think of one thing he would like to do at least once while he was at camp, and that was to take a walk through the vast forest they had. He always used to walk through the forest near his home whenever he could. It always made him feel better, and that was what he needed right now. Going back first to his cabin to put his bow away Dante headed for the forest.

Dante had only been walking in the forest for a little bit when he came across a group of girls. They all had pointy ears and long hair they were wearing dresses of different colors that seem to be made of flowers and leafs. Dante remember seeing a few of them in the mess hall; they were the ones that give him his plate. Dante said, "Hi" to them but all they did was giggle in response then they would run and disappear inside their trees. _Girls are weird._

After walking deeper into the woods, Dante reached a clearing where there was a large rock formation in the middle. He had heard something about a rock in the forest that was named after Zeus. _Zeus __Fist_ he recalled Chiron telling him during his tour the first day he arrived. Dante examine the rock trying real hard to find the shape of the fist, but he could not see how it resembles one. He stopped his examination when he heard a voice behind him. "Look what we found."

Dante turned the three hunters that had been staring at him during breakfast where now blocking the path he had come from. The trio start walking toward him, Cassidy was leading the way the other two hunters were at her side. They all were wearing the same hunting clothes Thalia had been wearing the first time he had seen her.

_Ah! This can be good_, Dante thought as the girls stop a few feet away from him, Cassidy regarded Dante with disdain. "Give it back. Give back what you stole from us."

Dante was confused**.** "Give what back? I haven't stolen anything."

"You're a liar. I saw you putting it away this morning**,**" said the red head.

Dante pressed his lips and said nothing he didn't know what they were talking about.

"The knife. You have one of our knifes," the girl went on. Dante looked at her suspiciously**.**

"You mean this knife." Dante took out the knife his mother gave him.

The three girls gasped at it.

"So it is true," said, the black girl. "You were right Gemma it is one of ours."

The red hair girl simply nodded. "See I told you so. He probably took it from Madison yesterday."

Cassidy looked at him with restrained fury. "Is it true? Did you take this from Madison? What you thought it would make a good trophy or something?" she questioned Dante. OK now Dante was angry. He had enough of being accused of doing things he had not done. "This is my knife," he snapped at them. "My mother gave it to me. It was hers, and now it belongs to me."

Cassidy took her own knives off her belt and showed them to Dante. "This knives are given to us when we pledge ourselves to Lady Artemis. Their exclusively made for her hunters and no demigod can use them without her permission. Specially boys."

Dante remained silent just looking back and forth between his weapon and hers. He couldn't understand if those knives were so exclusive how come his mother had one? Dante gazed back at Cassidy. "I don't know why our knifes look the same, but this one is not yours. I didn't take anything from you girls."

Cassidy smirked "You know Thalia told us to stay away from you. That there was no need for us to get upset about losing a fight. That only boys do that, and we agree with her. That's why we weren't going to do anything to you, but this is entirely different you stole from us and that is a direct insult to Lady Artemis.'"

"I told you I didn't.." Dante tried to explain one more time, but Cassidy wasn't listening to him anymore.

Turning her head to the side she spoke to her companions. "So what do you guys say? Gemma, Cindy should we teach this boy what happens to those who insult our mistress?" The look that they had in their eyes told Dante that these girls were serious about this. They would probably kill him if he gave them the chance. So Dante would not be stupid enough to give them one.

Dante grabbed his knife tightly by the hilt ready to defend himself. The hunters reached for their knives and prepared to do the same.

"I don't want to hurt any of you, but I will if I have to," Dante warned the girls.

"Ha," the black girl let out as she and the other hunters began circling Dante like a pack of wolves. So Dante guessed that if the red head was name Gemma she must be Cindy. "You must think you're all that just because you beat Madison. Well hate to break it to you, but Madison is new. She just joined the hunt a few months ago. We on the other hand have been with Lady Artemis for a long time now. We have more experience dealing with boys like you."

Dante's eyes shifted from hunter to hunter he was trying to find a way out of this without resorting to fighting, but there wasn't. Cassidy was in front of him, Gemma and Cindy were blocking his sides, and behind him was Zeus Fist. They had cornered him. Fighting was the only option he had left. _OK so be it_. He only wondered which of the three girls would come at him first.

But he didn't have to wait for long just as he had expected Cassidy was the first to launch at him and the fight was on.

Cassidy came at him with her knives raised and ready to strike, but she never got a chance. Dante sidestepped Cassidy's attack with a speed of its own that was nothing less than incredible. Not even Dante knew he could move that fast. His hand was nothing but a blur in front of the hunter's face. There was deceptively small _slap! _against the thumb pad of her hand, then her finger went numb and released the weapon of their own accord.

The teenager gasped at him for a second probably surprise of how easily Dante had made her let go of weapon. Then she got over it just as quickly. She whirled around with her other knife raised, but Dante shoved her backward with all his force before she could strike. Cassidy slammed against the side of Zeus Fist then slid down to the ground. She immediately tried to get up, but before she could Dante whipped his own knife through the air.

_Thunk! _

Dante's knife caught the fabric of her tunic and pinned firmly against the stone by its blade. _Man that_ _was a good knife._ Cassidy scowled and try to pull the knife free, but the weapon didn't budge. Dante had about a second to register what just happened. Good news, for the moment Cassidy was unable to come after him again, and that only left two hunters to deal with for now. The unfortunate thing was he didn't have a weapon anymore, so he would have to depend solely on his fighting skills with his hands.

Dante didn't have much time to think about it as the hunter Gemma screamed and charged aiming at him with her knives, but Dante was still faster. He literally swept the teenager off her feet. He pivoted and shoved her hard against the ground. "Hey," Cindy protested, she tried to slash at him but missed. "How dare.."

Dante didn't give her time to finish her sentence. Hooking one foot in front of her ankle he gave her a push when she stumbled she kept her momentum going and propelled herself into Gemma who was already trying to get up. She fell hard against her like a bowling ball, and they both staggered back to the ground. "Stay there," Dante commanded. "And stay down."

Dante turned his attention back to Cassidy who to his surprise had already set herself free and now she was pointing her bow directly at his chest and before he could think of anything else she fired.

Dante let himself go fully on instinct.

He did a sharp back flip that probably an ordinary person would have found impossible. The burst of arrows skimmed over him. Dante's vision skipped around the clearing as he turned over and over again, as Cassidy shot arrow after arrow with incredible speed. The arrows hammered into a tree, and Dante thought he heard a small "hey" coming from it. But the whisper was lost in the sound of the bow's firing.

Dante landed in a crouch as the last arrow whizzed past his shoulder. For the second time, Cassidy seemed surprise to see Dante's skills but just as before she snapped out of it quickly. She moved her hand to jerk a fresh arrow from her quiver.

Dante sprung.

_Thunk! _

Cassidy's eyes went wide with pain as Dante embedded a punch strait into her stomach. When she double over Dante grabbed her shoulders with both hands. Then he put his leg behind hers and whirled her landing her flat on the ground.

Before Cassidy could even try to get up, Dante quickly got on top of her. Using his full body weight Dante pinned Cassidy to the ground by the shoulders. "Now you give up?" Dante told her. Struggling to get out from under him Cassidy eyes narrowed and she snarled at him. "**GET OFF ME..."**

"Not until you.." Dante didn't get to finish as he felt a hand grab the collar of his shirt and with incredible strength threw him backwards. Dante rolled and got back on his feet as quickly as he could ready to face who ever had thrown him. He had expected to be either Cindy or the other girl Gemma who had done it, but it was neither of them. It was a surprised to see the girl responsible for it. She had black hair and electric blue eyes and instead of her usual hunting clothes she was wearing black punk clothes instead.

Thalia had arrived.

Her gaze took in everything around her. Her eyes went from Cindy and Gemma on the side to Cassidy that was trying to get up but fell back on her knees again. She had her hands on her stomach obviously still feeling the pain of Dante's punch. Then her eyes found him and in that moment it felt like if the atmosphere around her got electrified. "What do you think you're doing?"

Dante met her eyes she had a fierce look in them, but Dante didn't look away. The last thing he wanted was another misunderstanding. But before he could even began explaining he heard movement all around him. Then he felt his heart drop as he realized the situation he was in now. The entire Artemis cabin had surround him every girl was looking at him with unmistakable loathing. Dante look around then he went back to Thalia who was already drawing her knifes out.

_Oh man! This is certainly not good. Not good at all._

_**To be continue...**_

[A/N] So what do you guys think of this chapter please let me know. Oh before I end this let me give thanks to all of you who have encourage me to keep going it really means a lot to me. So thank you again.


	10. Chapter 10

**REWRITTEN: All correction were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] Ok here is the next chapter I hope you guys like it. Usual Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER TEN**

"What do you think you're doing?" Thalia demanded. She scuffed across the clearing toward Dante. She was gripping the hilts of her knives so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I ask you, what do you think you're doing?"

Dante glanced around, his eyes searching for a possible escape route, but there was none. The hunters were good at this they had already surrounded him, and they were not leaving any gaps he could use.

"It's not what you think," he said. He hesitated then he looked at Thalia again. "They attack me first I was only defending myself."

Thalia studied him. "Cassidy is this true?"

Cassidy got to her feet a hand still on her abdomen. She gave Dante one angry look then she focused on Thalia. "Yes. We did attack him first, but only because he stole from us."

Mumbling erupted all around Dante, _Not_ _this again_, he thought. Dante ignored the other hunters and just kept his attention on Thalia. They stared at each other, but Dante was not about to give in. "I didn't steal anything," he said. "How many times do I have to say it?"

Still maintaining a death grip on her knives Thalia looked at Zeus Fist where Dante's knife was still embedded in the stone along with a small piece of Cassidy's tunic.

"He took one of our knives," Cassidy told Thalia.

"That's not true," Dante was quick to interrupt. "That knife was given to me by my mother. It is not one of yours."

Thalia looked at him as if she wasn't sure whether he was telling the truth or lying. "How did your mother get it?" she asked. "These knives are..."

"Yes I know they are specially made for you girls. I have already been told that. I don't know how she got one, but she didn't steal it, and nether did I."

This time was Gemma who's spoke up. "He's lying," she said. Cindy and her took their places in the circle of hunters. "He probably took it from Madison yesterday," said Cindy.

Thalia turned to her side and looked at a younger girl who Dante remember as the first hunter he had fought on the arena. "Madison."

The girl stared at her uncomfortably**,** obviously aware that all the attention had turned to her**.** "I still got mine**,**" she said rather quickly taking her own knives out and holding them up for everyone to see. "You see nobody has stolen them from me. I would never let something liked that happen."

Satisfied Thalia glanced around her fellow hunters. "Is anyone missing a knife?" Most of the hunters shook their heads a few of them took out their knives from their belts as if just to make sure they still have them.

Dante was relieved "See I told you so. Now that that's settle, I'll just be going then." Dante moved to retrieve his knife and tried to just get out of there as fast as he could but before he even gave a step Thalia stop him. "Wait," she said. "You are not going anywhere just yet."

Dante looked at her "What? You already know I didn't steal from you. So what now?"

"Where did you get that knife from is not the issue anymore. Your attack on my sisters is a completely different matter now."

Dante felt like a fly caught in a spider web. "But they were the ones who.."

"Who ever stared it doesn't matter," Thalia cut him off. Then she gave a quick glance at Cassidy. "You hurt them, and as the lieutenant of Lady Artemis, I can not overlook that." Dante's eyes widened as he caught her meaning. "You should consider yourself lucky," Thalia told him.

"Should I? It doesn't feel that way."

"Well it should, if Lady Artemis were here she would already turn you into a jackapole or something else and let her hounds hunt you down. Me, on the other hand, I'm just going to beat you up."

Dante inhaled deeply. It seemed there was no way of avoiding another fight. "Can I at least get my knife back?"

"Sorry" Thalia said. "Boy's aren't allowed to use these knives and regardless how you got one doesn't change the fact that it is one of ours. So no." Then she studied Dante carefully. "But it should matter to you right," she continued. "I seem to recall you saying that you preferred to fight with your hands rather than use weapons." Thalia put her knives away then she looked around. "I'll handle him myself don't interfere," she ordered the other hunters.

A corner of Dante's mouth turned up as he looked at Thalia. _Well at least he was going to get a fair fight_ _this time._ " I don't have much of choice do I?" he said to her. Thalia simply shook her head at him.

They circled each other warily as stupid as that might seem, Dante knew better than to underestimate a girl like Thalia. The way she moved and acted reminded Dante of his mother Galetri, which he hoped was just a big coincidence because he had never been able to beat his mother on any of their training matches. So hopefully it would not be the same with Thalia.

Thalia gestured at him then dropped into a fighting stance; the rest of the hunters backed away from the pair. And then the fight began.

Thalia blocked and returned each of his punches dancing nimbly out of reach as he aimed his punches and kicks at her. In other circumstances, Dante would have thought this to be fun, a game played with a partner who at least had the skill to challenge him, a little innocent recreation. Then just like that the game was over.

Thalia came in with a split second lateral kick that caught him across his back and knocked him to his knees. His head fell forward, and he gasp as pain razed through his back, and his belly, but luckily it faded almost instantly. He lifted his head and stared up the girl who'd kicked him, and he could feel his eyes light up with the thrill of the hunt on them. At least that was the only feeling Dante could associate the rush of energy that was running through his body at that moment. He only felt that way whenever his mother took him hunting.

His senses got sharper, his mind became clear and focused, there was no fear or doubt, just pure instinct. In his mind, Thalia was no longer the hunter she was his prey, and he was not about to let her have the best of him. Thalia looked down on him with a bit of hesitation. Dante wondered if she could actually see the change in him?

While he had been on his knees, the rest of the hunters had been cheering and praising Thalia for her moves. Ignoring them Dante got up and resumed his fighting stance. He waited a second for Thalia to do the same then it was his turn to move in.

Thalia let out a kick at him, but as she swung Dante came up underneath it, and before Thalia knew he was already inside her circle of defense. That made easier for Dante to deliver a vicious blow to her ribs. Now it was Thalia gasping on her knees before him, and Dante felt a _tickle_ in the back of his head reminding him that Thalia was still a girl, and that he probably should try to hold back. Before he decided if he was going to do that, with surprising speed Thalia got back on her feet and gave him a frontal kick that got him square in the chest and he dropped. Clawing at his chest Dante rolled over and tried to get back on his feet again.

Dante looked at Thalia, and he noticed something strange. There was dim silver glow covering her entire body like a coat. "Finally you're getting serious, huh. Good because so am I." This time Thalia's voice sounded really angry, more than before.

They both began circling each other again a little longer than before they were waiting for their lungs to recover the air that had been knock out of them. Then Thalia charged. She threw a punch at Dante that would have broken his cheekbone had he been stupid enough to let it connect. Instead, he ducked under it, then sent his own punch at her. Thalia was faster this time; she sidestepped the strike aimed at her cheekbones, coming under his arm and ramming her shoulder up hard into his armpit. A little guidance downward on the back of his neck with her right forearm threw him off balance. She jammed her right knee up into his abdomen, and that sent Dante face forward into the dirt.

Dante got to his knees and attempted a low- reverse kick trying to sweep Thalia's feet from under her. Thalia simply jumped backwards, avoiding it. Dante used the opportunity to go after her. He managed to lurch in front of her and threw what he thought was a perfect punch, but Thalia easily dodged it. In fact, she tilted backwards flipping into her head and gifting Dante with a nasty kick right in the face as she did it.

Dante dropped, gasping in pain he brought both of his hands to his face he could also feel something sour staring to fill his mouth. He pulled himself to his knees again and spit out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth. He wiped the rest of it with the back of his hand. Dante knew he was lucky with a kick like that; Thalia could have easily broken his nose or left him without his front teeth.

Thalia seem to be satisfied by these. She was thinking she could get this over with and go back to more important matters. Like to go see if the package for her lady had finally been delivered, but Dante wasn't done yet. Somewhere inside him was a little more strength, a little more will power. He pulled everything he had left, and before Thalia could react he propelled himself forward and rolled, taking her down like a human bowling ball. Both Thalia and Dante were now rolling on the ground wrestling each other. They both were trying to get on top of the other, but Dante was the one who won. He had managed to get on top of Thalia and pin her down the same way he had done to Cassidy earlier. Panting Dante looked down at Thalia "Got ya." Thalia simply smirked back at him "Think again." Thalia manages to grab Dante's wrist and dig her nails into it.

"AHHHHH!" Dante arched backwards in pain as an electric current went through his body. In the process he let go of Thalia who was quick to push him off her. All Dante could do now was lie on the ground and twist in pain as he felt his muscle violently spasm. Thalia had basically done the equivalent of using a taser stun gun on him.

After what it felt like a long time the spasms subsided and Dante was struggling to try to get up. Thalia wasn't waiting this time to see if he could she move in to finish it once and for all, but just before she could the sound of a voice stopped her.

"That's quite enough."

Everyone turned their attention to the edge of the clearing where the voice had come from. A small girl was emerging from the woods, and she now was calmly walking across the clearing toward the group. The girl look young probably twelve or thirteen she had olive skin and was dress in a brief white tunic, leather leggings and a forearm guard on her right arm. In that hand, she held a bow that was as silver and lustrous as the moon. Her auburn hair was tightly bunned, and netted, and she wore a coronet shape like a crescent. From the shape of her legs and her general trim Dante could tell this girl would probably be good at the hundred meter dash. The bow she had been carrying dimly glowed then it vanished as she reached the group. All of the hunters got in attention and then they all bow to her respectfully.

"Lady Artemis," Thalia gasped doing the same as the other hunters. Dante was surprise she was Artemis. He couldn't believe that this little girl was the mighty goddess of the hunt and moon. Then he remember Mr. D. He didn't look like a god either so he better take the hunters word for it and accept that this was the real Artemis.

The small goddess made an assessment of her hunters. "Is everyone doing OK now?" she asked them.

"Yes my Lady. We're just fine," Thalia responded for the whole group.

"I'm glad to hear that," the goddess said. Then her fierce gaze turned to Dante. Thalia turned to look at Dante who was still on the ground with his mouth open and his face blank with fear. Dante locked eyes with hers for a moment, and he could almost swear that Thalia look concerned for him. Then he remember what she had told him, '_if __Lady_ _Artemis was here she would turn you into a jackapole or something else and had her hounds_ _hunt you down"_, as he remember that a new wave of fear run through his body.

"My Lady." Thalia turned back to the goddess. "We were just.." The huntress simply held up her hand, and Thalia went silent, but not just her the entire forest seem to vent to the goddess will and got silent as well. There was no bird singing or bugs buzzing, no animal noises just pure utter silence.

"I all ready know. Move aside Thalia." Thalia gave Dante one last look then she reluctantly obeyed and headed to join her sisters on the side.

The queenly teenager began walking towards Dante. Her eyes were the color of the silver moonlight, and they were eerie and cold. Dante try to get up, but his muscle hadn't recovered from Thalia's electric shock therapy so he fell down back on his knees. The girl stopped right in front of him and raised a hand. Not been able to try to get away. Dante close his eyes and braised for it. This was the end for him; it was all over. He waited and waited, he had expected to feel his body beginning to transform or feel some type of pain or something but nothing happen. Instead, Dante was a surprised went he felt a hand pass through his hair and gently went down the side of his head and cupped his cheek.

Dante forced himself to open his eyes, and he find that the hand belong to the goddess in front of him. He looked up and met her eyes. They still looked cold, but there was also something else in them now like an odd tenderness that they didn't have before.

"Are you OK too, Dante?" her voice now was sounding gentler than when she had arrived.

"You know my name?" he asked her. The goddess smiled, truly Dante thought it was, in a strange way a chilling smile as cold as the far side of the moon, but at the same time it felt warm and pleasant. "I have know you since you were born."

"Since I was born?" Then Dante's eye's got wide as realization dawned upon him. "You couldn't be..."

Artemis' smile got bigger as if she had read his mind. "Yes Dante I'm your mother."

In that moment, Dante didn't know what it was, it could have been the shock of finding out who his real mother was or could it been a side effect of Thalia's electric attack, but all the sudden Dante felt sick. He leaned his head down and then...

WUAAAAAAGH!

He vomited right in front of the goddess feet. Then his vision suddenly got out of focus and finally everything went dark. The last thing he remember before passing out was the feeling of someone catching him before his head hit the ground, but he knew nothing more after that.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Finally I got the claiming over with now I can get the plot moving again. I originally plan for Dante to be claim on chapter six but I pushed back to seven, then eight, nine and finally I got it out on this one. Well let me know what you guys think of this chapter. See ya next time.


	11. Chapter 11

**REWRITTEN: All correction were made by one great BETA name NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] Ok here is the next chapter of these story. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it. Enjoy.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Sometime after his fight with Thalia someone must have carried Dante to his cabin, because that was where he awoke. He sat up and banged his head. Cursing he felt around and got up more carefully. A thin light coming from a couple of silver lanterns showed Dante that he was not in the Hermes cabin as he had first thought. The cabin was paneled with pale wood and had a few more bunks, each was empty and neatly made, also was incredibly clean, not a speck of dust anywhere. Unlike cabin eleven this cabin also had different smell to it, the smell of nature and clean air.

"Tell me, did Galetri allow the use of such language from your part?" A voice asked him all the way from the other side of the cabin.

A young girl stood against the wall. Her powerful silver eyes seemed fierce at first, but then they seemed to get softer. Her hair hung loose, but Dante could tell she was the same girl who had stopped the fight with Thalia back in the forest. _She was Artemis. _

Dante blinked in confusion, not sure what she was referring to, then he got it. When he banged his head on the top bunk he had cursed, so that's probably what she was talking about. Dante pressed his lips together and said nothing. She was watching him sardonically. Artemis began walking toward Dante; all of her movements were perfectly balanced, like those of a wild animal. Funny how someone as small as her could radiate so much power.

She looked at him as if for the first time. Under her concentrated gazed, Dante began to feel uncomfortable; he felt as if she were inspecting him for something.

"I suppose, I should let you know..." she said, looking down at her feet. "... I will not be using my leggings anytime soon now, thanks to you."

Dante blushed remembering that he had indeed puked all over the goddess' feet when they met earlier. "That was not the way, I had expected our first meeting to go," Artemis continued. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, I am..." Dante said, feeling his embarrassment getting bigger. "Sorry about that...Lady Artemis."

The goddess was silent for a while before saying, "You may referent to me as mother if you like. Yes, I believe that would be the most proper way for you to address me from now on."

_Mother_! Yeah, he had forgotten about that. The girl in front of him, as hard as it was to believe, was his real mother. The same mother, that had given him away right after he was born. Dante felt his previous embarrassment gradually turning into anger against her. Without a word, but with lips tight and eyes narrowed, Dante gazed at the goddess. He was going to try not to say anything that he might come to regret later, but as far as he was concerned she was nothing more than a complete stranger.

Artemis narrowed her eyes at him in return as if she knew what he was thinking. She looked away from Dante and out the window. "We do not have much time," she said. "My hunters will return soon."

Dante tried real hard to act calm, but could not keep the bitterness out of his voice. He asked, "Where are they? Where am I for that matter?"

"I ordered Thalia to take the others to the hall for dinner. As for where you are I would have thought it would be obvious. You are where you belong in my cabin. Cabin eight."

Artemis turned to him. "After you passed out in the forest I brought you here. I also had your stuff brought over from cabin eleven, as well." Dante look over to the bed where he had been sleeping and, in fact, on the top bunk was his backpack with his clothes in; his knife was there too.

"Why?" he asked.

Artemis looked as if she had expected for him to know the answer to that already. "Because as my child, you will be staying in this cabin from now on while you are in camp." It wasn't so much as her tone but the words "_my_ _child_" that made Dante resist the idea of been in her cabin.

"Do I have to stay here? What about your hunters? Won't they have a problem with me here?"

"I do not see why they would. I already have given them an explanation about your existence. They should understand now that you have as much right to be here as they do. So as long as you and them come into an arrangement on how to share the space, there should be no problem at all."

Artemis walked over to one of the bunks. "Now," she said, sitting herself comfortably on one. She crossed her legs and folded her hands atop her knee. "I told Thalia to come back by the time curfew starts, so that gives us an hour or so to talk." Artemis beckoned him to sit on a bunk facing her.

"I would like you to tell me everything that has happened to you for the last thirteen years."

Dante smirked. "One would expect an all powerful and mighty goddess of Olympus to know everything there is to know, already."

"Do not mock me," said Artemis in a dangerous tone. "I have watched you from time to time, but for the most part, I've been keeping my distance. If I had not done that, there would have been those that would have taken notice and discovered you sooner. I trusted Galetri to keep you safe while I was not around."

"Yeah she did that," Dante said. "She kept me alive all these years all by herself. She's been a _real_ _mother_ to me."

Artemis tense and gripped her knee tightly, then she seemed to regain her composure and looked straight at Dante. "Start from the beginning. You're earliest memory and go from there."

Dante complied to the goddess' request and began telling her anything he could remember happening to him. The time he had broken his arm climbing a tree, going in small trips across the country with his mother Galetri, and about the training she had given him, and what he learned from Joan. Artemis sat on the bunk bed and watched him inscrutably until he couldn't think of anything more to say.

"And when you are not training, studying, or in some trip with Galetri, how do you spend your time?"

Dante thought it was a strange thing for her to ask, but he mumbled, "I don't know. I'll be on the computer or playing a video game or something."

"Computer and video games," said Artemis disapprovingly. "What about the outside? Don't you do some activity outdoors?"

Dante felt as if he had disappointed her, and he was angry at himself for actually caring about it. "I go hunting some times," he said. "Mom takes me hunting whenever she has free time."

"Hunting! Well that's a lot better now," she said with a hint of a smile on her face. "Do you like to hunt? What is the biggest thing you have ever hunted?"

"I think it was a deer," he said. "I tracked it down all by myself and killed it with and arrow straight to the heart. It died quickly; I think that's a good thing. Didn't suffer much."

"I see," Artemis said. "What about-?"

"Why wasn't I told about you before?" Dante burst out. He was being rude interrupting her like that, but he didn't care about manners in that moment. He had answered all of her questions, now it was her turn to answer his. "Mom could have told me about you and asked me to keep it secret, I would have. So why wait until now to tell me who you were?"

She looked at him as if trying to guess whether he would understand what she was about to say. "Didn't Galetri explain to you what happens when a demigod finds out who they are?"

Dante remember his mother Galetri saying something about that. "Ah...Something about their scent getting stronger and attracting monsters."

"Yes that's correct. The stronger the scent the easier it becomes for the monsters to find the demigod. Since the moment, you were born your scent was already particularly strong, telling you the truth would have made it even stronger. Monsters would have come after you non-stop, and as good as Galetri is fighting them she would have been overwhelmed eventually. They would have killed her and you, as well as Galetri's daughter. Would you have wanted something like that to happen?"

"No," Dante said glancing to the side. "I wouldn't want them to get hurt because of me."

"Now you see why you were not told before. Not knowing the truth, allowed you to live a normal and peaceful life all these years." Dante remain silent, so Artemis went on, "Now Dante, about what's going to happen next? You're..."

"What about my father?" Dante said, interrupting the goddess again. "How come he didn't take care of me?"

As soon as he said that, Artemis snapped her head up and looked at him. "There's no need for you to know about that man," she said getting up from the bed.

"I think I do," Dante said. "I want to know who he is. I have the right to know."

"He's dead," Artemis said. "And that's everything there is to it."

"What happened to him?" Dante asked after a minute or so. An without the slightest hint of emotion on her voice Artemis simply said, "I killed him." Dante was shocked; he hadn't been expecting an answer like that. "He committed unforgivable crimes directly against me," she went on. "His fate was well deserved, but believe me, death was the least of the punishment he should have gotten."

Dante stood there just looking at her not sure how he supposed to feel about something like that.

"Do not waist your time feeling pity for him. Your fath...," she stopped in the middle of her sentence as if she didn't want to used the word _father_. "...He was one of the worst men I have ever met in thousands of years. He wasn't someone to be pity or feel sorry for. He was a bad man."

Dante didn't know if he should believe her. He had learned more things about the gods while he has been in camp. Something he had learned about Artemis was that she hated men more than anything. So as far as he knew all men were bad.

She must have guessed his thoughts, for she looked at him and sharply said, "Unlike everyone believes I do not find all men to be completely worthless. I acknowledge that there are a few good and decent men in this world. Not many, but they do exist. Some of these men have even earned my respect, but _that_ _man_ was not among them."

"He couldn't have been that bad," Dante said. "You must have seen something good in him if you decided to have a child with..."

Artemis cut him off. "Your birth was an unexpected consequence of me killing him. It's not like I wanted it to happen." Artemis froze and looked at him obviously aware of how that had sounded like, but it was too late she couldn't take it back.

Dante felt wrenched apart with unhappiness and anger, too; she did not even want him, and that was the whole truth of his existence. He was an unwanted child, a mistake.

"I did not mean it like that," Artemis said trying to remedy the situation, but Dante ignored the last part.

"I would like to know what happened**,**" he said coldly. "How was I born? Why did you have to kill my father?"

Artemis turned her back on him. "I do not wish to discuss this any further. There are more pressing matters at hand right now."

"I need to know," Dante said raising his voice. "What did he do that was so bad that you had to kill him?"

"Enough!" Artemis snapped back at him. "I didn't came here to be interrogated by an insolent child. There's nothing more to talk about that man. So put it out of your head. Don't argue anymore or you shall make me angry."

It was a small threat, but there was something menacing in her voice. Dante saw in her eyes that she expected no more resistance from him. Reminding himself that he was in the presence of a goddess he compressed his lips and frowned hard at her, but said nothing anymore.

They spoke no more for some time. It was a knock on the door that broke the silence. "Come in," said Artemis. Thalia walked through the door and gave Dante and Artemis a quick glance. She looked back and forth between them, obviously aware that there was a powerful tension in the room. Thalia gave Artemis a slight bow then without looking at Dante she walked to her bed and stood in front of it. The rest of the hunters followed and did the same, but unlike Thalia, they would give Dante a look full of contempt and suspicion.

"So what happens now?" Dante asked Artemis trying not to pay attention to hunters in the room.

Artemis tilted her head in thought. "I have already told my father about you. It was his decision that the council should meet and decide, what to do with you**.**"

"What to do with me?" he asked.

"I was never supposed to have a child. So now the council will vote on whether you should be destroyed or allowed to live."

That made Dante shift uncomfortably.

"Do not worry," said Artemis. She moved a step closer to reassure him, but Dante took a step away from her. For a second, the goddess looked hurt, but she recovered quickly. "I'm confident that the council will vote in your favor. There are only a few who are against the idea of keeping you alive, but the majority doesn't seem to mind your existence. That's why the voting was postponed until the end of the summer solstice."

"The summer solstice? When would that be?" Dante asked. "The solstice ends on July 21st, at midnight. You will remain in this camp until then, and just for safety, my hunters will remain here as well," she said looking around to each of her hunter. The girls give a little nod letting her know that they understood.

"Safety? From what?" Dante asked, not liking the idea of the hunters babysitting him.

"This camp has always been neutral territory no god is allow to harm a child inside its borders. However, Hera and Aphrodite wants you to be destroyed immediately, so I wouldn't put it past them to attempt something before the council meets," Artemis explained to him.

Dante looked skeptical. He could not believe how bad his luck was. He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, but said nothing, or better could not think of anything to say. For about the span of time it took him to do that, Artemis closed the gap between them. She idly reached out with her hand and touched his cheek gently. It was almost shocking for Dante to see how casually she did that. As if he was someone she had the right to touch.

"Everything is going to be Ok. You have nothing to worry about," she told him. Dante leaned his head back slightly away from her reached. Artemis brought her hand to her side and bowled into a fist then she stepped away from him.

Artemis turned her head and looked over her shoulder**.** "Thalia**,** I have already told you how to proceed from now on**.** I'll be counting on you."

Thalia nodded**.** "Yes my Lady. Everything will be done exactly as you order."

"Good, I'll be leaving now. Do not worry, my hunters, I should be among you again really soon," Artemis said, then she crossed her arms and looked carefully left and right. "I expect all of you to behave properly while I'm gone. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lady Artemis," all hunters said in unison.

Artemis tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowing at Dante. He knew that look it was the same look his mother Galetri give him when she is expecting an answer.

He nodded briefly. "Yes... _Lady_ _Artemis_."

Artemis seemed lost in thought for a moment, frowning. She drew a deep sigh then stepped over to the door and had one foot out of the cabin when she stopped.

Artemis looked at Dante one last time as if she were about to say something to him, but then she shook her head. What had she wanted to say? Dante could not guess.

"Farewell for now my hunters," she said. Then she walked outside and closed the door behind her. Then she was gone.

With Artemis out of the picture, all eyes in the cabin turned to Dante. He looked left and right then frowned.

_Here we go again._

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] First let me reassured you all that Artemis is still a **VIRGIN **. The thing about Dante's father will be explain later in the story. Now, just in case you guys thought Artemis was acting weird with Dante well my reasoning for her behavior is as fallows:

Been a first time mom Artemis is not sure how she suppose to act with him, also there's the whole thing about hating men. After millenniums of doing that and then suddenly having to deal with one in a personal level (Dante been her son) makes her feel awkward. **Those that makes sense.** Well to put it simply she really cares about Dante but doesn't know how come out and say it or showed it. An Dante's anger is not making it easier for her.

Well hope you guys like it and let me know what you think. See ya.


	12. Chapter 12

**REWRITTEN: All corections were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] Here is the next chapter sorry it took longer to update this time but I'm been very busy this last few weeks. Anyway usual disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

Oh! I almost forgot. In this chapter there's going to be a character that can speak with 3 different voices. One of the voices is of a child, the other is that of an adult, and the last one of an old lady. The character dialogue shift back an forth between the 3 voices. So to make it clear which voice is been used I have written them in different styles.

The voice of the adult is written normally.

_The child's is in italic._

**The old lady is in bold.**

Anyway I hope it doesn't get too confusing, OK so lets begin now.

**Secret's Of The Moon**

**CHAPTER TWELVE **

With Artemis gone from the cabin, Dante had everyone's attention now. He looked quickly to his right and left, and he stepped back, looking slightly puzzled that he had not been attacked yet. He had expected the hunters to try and finish what they had started back in the forest the moment their beloved goddess walked out the door. But nothing happened.

"Everyone," Thalia said, "we should put the lights out in a little bit. So start getting ready to go to sleep. All of us are tired. It's been a really a long day. So let's just go to bed."

She gave Dante a long look, then she walked and sat on the edge of her bed, and started going through her stuff. The rest of the hunters began doing the same. Dante stood there not knowing exactly what to do, after a moment he decided to try to familiarize himself with his new living space. He was going to be staying in this cabin with the hunters for more than a month, which probably would drive him insane, so he might as well try to make it livable, which was not necessarily the same as comfortable.

The inside of the cabin, in a way, mirrored the Hermes cabin. Not the same layout, of course, but it was close. The furniture was similar, but looked more elegant and easy to care. The wood of the cabin was emitting a dim silver glow from top to bottom. It didn't take long for Dante to figure out where everything was in the cabin; other than the main room, there was a bathroom and a small linen closet on the back wall, just like cabin eleven.

Dante stopped his visual examination when he realized that some of the hunters were looking at him strangely. Probably wondering, _What was he looking at?_ He turned from them and went to his bunk; he grabbed his bag and emptied it onto the bed. He was going through his stuff making sure that everything was there, though he was conscious every second of the hunters disgust and furtive looks that they were giving him.

Dante found it relatively easy to pretend to be looking for something in particular and that he wasn't aware of anything else going on. His acute hearing easily picked up the footsteps behind him even though that person was making an effort to walk quietly. When the footsteps stopped, he turned.

Thalia was standing there with her hands on her hips. "You're...uh...Dante, right?" she said taking one more step in his direction. She gestured toward the bathroom door then said, "Would you go into the bathroom for a few minutes?" At Dante's curious expression, she explained, "We need to change, and we can't do it with you in the room."

Dante saw where she was going; he grabbed the clothes he always slept in, then he headed for the bathroom. He dressed quickly and waited for the girls in the other room to finish changing. While he waited, he was trying to make sense of his own story. To accept that he was a demigod had been easy, but to see Artemis as his mother, well that would take him more time.

A soft knock on the door let him know that it was OK for him to come out of the bathroom. Dante stepped back into the room. The hunters were already getting in their beds. He quickly made his way back to his and placed all of his stuff back in his bag, except for his knife which he tucked under the pillow, just in case he might need it later. The hunters stared to mumble goodnight and sweet dreams to each other then someone switched the lights off.

The cabin didn't exactly go totally dark; the dim light coming from the wood was still glowing bravely in the blackness. Dante's bed was near a window, so he was able to see the moon high in the sky . He would have loved to gaze at it, but after everything that had happened that day, he didn't feel like doing it anymore. Turning his back to the window he closed his eyes and almost immediately he was drifting off. Hopefully at least he could have a pleasant dream, but he should have known, he wasn't that lucky...

(/)

Dante had never thought a forest could seem so ominous. The one that he was in now seemed like something out of a nightmare version of _Little Red Riding Hood_. Every bush seemed alive and filled with dark movements, nothing more than a place for something evil to hide. The night was dark and the heavy canopy of overhead leaves kept even the moonlight from sighing through. Still Dante's feet found their way almost on their own accord as if they already knew where he needed to go. For Dante moving through the darkness felt little like trusting his instincts to move him through a tunnel. He was not sure how long he walked, or how far, but eventually an impressive stone structure came into view.

"Whoa!" he said.

A breathtaking edifice had literally been carved into the face of a craggy hill. Dante thought it look a lot like one of those ancient Greek temples. The cracked stone and faded marble mosaics hinted at centuries of neglect. A primitive wooden gate guarded the bare grounds in front of the giant temple. Dante didn't spot any sort of light either inside or outside the structure.

A rusty padlock sealed the gate; he reached for the lock, but before he even touched it, the lock came off and the massive oak doors open. Without hesitating, he marched through the gate.

The desolated courtyard was as quiet as a graveyard. Brown weeds and granite outcroppings sprouted from the rocky soil. Dante had a theory that no one had walked these grounds for generations. Stepping toward the building itself, he failed to notice the two red eyes beaming in his path.

He approached a heavy wooden door built into the base of the monument. Another padlock guarded the door; he reached for it only to be interrupted by a faint metallic sound, then the door open before him. It looked like an invitation, so Dante walked inside.

Majestic columns and pointed arches adorned the foyers inside. The paving stones were broken and uneven forcing Dante to tread carefully through it. The sputtering glow of a few torches revealed an actual staircase leading down to a floor below the temple. Dante thought he glimpsed more light at the bottom of the stairs.

All of his senses were telling Dante that there was something seriously wrong with this place, but he couldn't stop himself from going down the stairs.

Emerging from the stairwell, he found himself in a vaulted corridor heavy with the weight of ages. Time and decay had taken their toll on this part of the temple. Dante thought he heard voices coming from somewhere at the end; so following the sound he rushed forward. He reached a circular chamber that was far below the temple. Torches mounted in the walls allowed him to view the whole room clearly.

In the center of the chamber was a big den and on the very bottom was what looked like a golden cage. The cage itself was octagonal and was just about as big as a closet. Dante spotted the cramped shape of some animal inside of it. From the dimension of the cell, he could tell that the cage was several sizes too small for the creature. There was not enough room for it to move, let alone to rest in comfort!

Dante was about to move in closer to get a better view, but the sudden sound of a woman's voice send him hiding behind one of the column of the room.

"We do not see why you are been so reluctant to help us? Don't you want revenge against her too?"

Making sure he was shrouded behind the column Dante took a peek at the woman. She was wearing an elegant black dress, and her head was cover by a dark veil. Had her outfit been white Dante could have sworn he was looking at someone's bride. Dante wonder how he hadn't seen her when he entered the room.

**"If we work together we can make her pay for what she has done to us," **she said.

However, this time Dante noticed her voice sounded different. The first time he had heard it she sounded like a young woman, but now her voice was that of an old lady.

**"You want this too.** **We know you very well."**

"You know nothing about me," a man's voice boomed from within the cage rattling the bars. Dante was startled momentarily; there was no way the enormous thing inside the pen could actually be a human, _right_?

_"HA!HA!HA!_ _But we do, we do__,__"_ The woman said in a third voice that sounded much younger and childish than the other two. _"Once upon a time, you and your brother were the terror of the Olympians._ _So powerful and mighty you both were that no hero or god __dared_ _to challenge you._ _But all that came to an end when the huntress brought you down, didn't it?" _

At first the man in the cage was silent, then he let out a terrible roar that rattled his cage. "She tricked us. It was not fair."

"_Any_ _how_," the woman simply said dismissing his excuse. Then shifting her voice back to that of a mature woman**,** she continued with the story. "A thousand years later you came back**,** but sadly your brother didn't. He is gone now, faded away forever. _He went bye bye._ And being only one of you now you were not that big of a threat anymore, so you were hunted down and captured. And who was the one who did that? **It** **was** **the** **huntress** **again**," she finished in a mocking tone.

By now Dante was aware of the cage shaking violently as the man inside was trying to free himself. Ignoring the outburst that was going on inside the den the woman continued pacing around totally unconcerned by the man's obvious anger against her. "Then it was Zeus' decree for you to be imprisoned for all time in this rat hole they built for you. It is a pity that someone such as yourself ended this way. Don't you think?"

"Ahhhh!" The man yelled in frustration.

**"Now back to our proposal.** **Are you willing to help us now?"** she asked him.

"Even if I agree, there's no way I can break free from this cage. Hephaestus made it indestructible. It can not be broken," The man answered her. The woman kept silent as if she was givin the problem a thought. "_There's_ _no_ _need_ _for_ _us_ _to_ _break_ _it_ _when_ _we_ _can_ use _the_ _key_." From somewhere within her dress she took out an ancient looking key, and holding it by the tips of her fingers she waved it at the man.

"You have the key," the man said in disbelief. "How did you get Hephaestus to give it to you?"

"Well, we know a certain goddess that happens to hold some leverage over the blacksmith, and she persuade him to lend her the key. And she was kind enough to give it to us in exchange for getting rid of Artemis little brat forever."

Dante was shocked. _Artemis_ _little_ _brat_. Wait, were they talking about him?

"What brat?" The man questioned the woman.

Using her child voice she answered, "_Oh!_ _That's right you don't get the newspaper __delivered_ _all the way out here that often, do you?_ _It is the latest gossip in Olympus; the fair and eternal maiden gave birth to a child of her own._ _Everyone's talking about it."_

"She has a child now?"

"_Yes_, _she does_," The woman said in a playful tone. "You see now, this is the perfect opportunity to make her feel the pain of loosing someone dear to her. Just like she took away your brother you can take away her child."

"Why would you want to help me? What's there for you?"

Using her adult voice again**,** she got extremely serious. "Same as you. Revenge. The Huntress took one of our children away from us, and she has to pay for that. _She has to pay._ **Take her child; make her hurt as we did.** So tell us now are you in or are you out?"

The man chuckled inside his cage. "Open it," he said after a moment. The woman extended her arm and the metal key hovered for a second on top of her hand. Then like a bullet the key flew down into the hole and embedded itself in the lock. Dante heard the metallic sound of the key fulfilling its designated function and opening the cage door. Right after, Dante witnessed the biggest and meanest looking guy he had ever seen emerged from the den.

The individual was larger than Dante had originally thought. He had all makings of a pro wrestler, but Dante was convinced that even the biggest wrestlers in the world would be put to shame by him. Even the Japanese sumo guys would have nothing on him either.

The man was enjoying a scrumptiously long stretch, obviously pleased to be out from his claustrophobic cell. After popping every bone in his body, he turned to the woman. "Now tell me where can I find the little brat."

_"Well you are in luck; right now he __happens_ _to be eavesdropping on us."_ The woman tilted her head in Dante's direction he could not see her face, but Dante was sure she was staring at him. **"Young man has anyone ever told you that is rude to listen to a private conversation?" **

Realizing he has been caught, Dante dashed from behind the column straight for the exit, but a low growl stopping him dead in his tracks. A black dog emerged from the passage he had used earlier. The dog's red eyes were utterly fixated on him. Dante took a step back as the Doberman began baring its teeth and growling more fiercely at him.

"**Someone** **should** **teach** **you** **some** **manners**," the woman said in her old voice, then she went on to used her childish voice. _"Get him, Sage."_

At her command, the Doberman launched at Dante, its sharp teeth going for his throat.

(/)

"NO." Dante woke up flailing at the air. He sat on his bed and immediately brought a hand to his throat as if to make sure it hadn't been ripped open by some dog. Relieved to find every part of his neck intact, Dante sighed. It had been nothing more than another variation of his summer-long dream churning in his mind. _Man what is wrong with me, I want this weird dreams to end, _he thought_._

"What happened?"

Dante heard someone say and seconds later the lights of the cabin turn on. It took Dante a second to remember that now he was sleeping in a cabin full of girls, and that he shouting had awoken every single one of them up. _OH!_ _Great!_

Before he could even think what to say, like a flash Thalia crossed the cabin and was standing next to him. "Are you all right? Why did you yell?" she asked in a tone that sounded as if she was concerned for him. Dante looked at her first, then he look around the cabin. All of the hunters were staring at him, some even had left their bunks and gathered around him.

Dante struggled for focus. Then he said in a jumble, "Uh… I'm fine. It's nothing, sorry I woke you girls up. It was just a bad dream that's all."

"A dream?" Thalia said. "What were you dreaming about?"

Dante gazed at her, for a moment he considered telling her about the dream then remembering that all of the hunters hated his guts, he chose not to. He didn't want to show any type of weakness in front of them.

"I don't remember," Dante murmured. "Sorry, I'll go back to sleep now," he told her. Before Thalia could ask anything else he lay back on his bunk and pretended to fall asleep. Thalia stood very still on the side of the bed, not wanting to give up so easily she said, "Tell me about your dream. I want to..."

Dante cut her off "I'm OK, really. There's nothing for you to be worry about," he said, putting the blankets over his head.

"Fine," Thalia said flatly. "Everyone go back to your beds now. Everything is _fine_. Turn off the light, too."

Dante waited for the cabin to go dark and quiet again before coming out from underneath the covers. Looking at window he could see that there were still several hours away from dawn. He sighed; for him it felt like he hadn't slept at all and to make things worse his attempts to shake off the dream were failing. Every memory of it was still fresh in his mind.

_Come on I just want a good night rest is that too much to ask__?_he thought_._

Then out of nowhere a strange smell engulfed him. It smelled wonderful, like if all the smells from nature had been released from a tightly stopped bottle. Dante thought about getting up and looking for the source of the smell, but his eyes closed before he could follow through. Before he fell entirely asleep the last thing Dante remembered feeling had been the touch of someone's hand pressing gently against his forehead, but he knew nothing more after that.

For the first time, since he arrived at Camp Half Blood Dante had a good dreamless sleep. Which was a good thing; since he was going to need all of his strength to deal with all the challenges the new day would bring for him.

**To be continued...**

[A/N] Ok so I really hope I didn't confused anyone. Let me know what you guys think.

One more thing someone asked me why did I choose the name Dante for my character? Well yeah the name Dante is more commonly associated with something to do with fire, most popular term _Dante's_ _Inferno_. I kind of loosely base my character on that one. If you are familiar with the story _Dante's_ _Inferno_ you should know that the main character Dante is a holy knight that goes to hell to save his wife. But in the original story that was written in 11 or 12 century he starts as the only son of a great hunter, later he becomes a demon hunter then a knight and that's where the story begins. So because of those origins I thought it was fitting for my character to be called that way too. Plus I like the name.

Interesting fact about my story some of my character's names I took them from the original_._ Like Gemma and Cassidy are the name's of some of the character's from _Dante's_ _Purgatory_ and _Dante's_ _Paradise_.

Well I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to review and let me know what you guys think. Seeya.


	13. Chapter 13

**REWRITTEN: All corection were made by NerdySkeleton.**

[A/N] Here is the next chapter. Usual disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

Just a reminder there's character that speaks with 3 different voices. Remember : The adult is normal, _the child is in italics, __**the old lady is in bold.**_

**Secret's Of The Moon**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The next morning when Dante awoke in the cabin, he was ready to deal with whatever the day would bring. Most of the hunters were still asleep, but Thalia was awake.

"Light sleeper?" he asked her.

"Always. When you are Lady's Artemis lieutenant, you gotta make a habit of waking up earlier in the mornings... How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling fine," Dante said with a nod. "Thanks for asking."

She grinned. "No big deal. Now, ready to tell me what was your dream about?"

"Told you I don't remember." Dante got his bag from under the bed and search for a new set of clothes. "It was just a stupid dream. It's of no importance."

"It might be," she started off, "for demigods sometimes dreams are not just dreams. They could be having a vision from the past or from things that are happening in that moment."

She stopped for a second then the female hunter continued. "I can tell from the way you were yelling that whatever the dream was about, it wasn't good. Am I wrong? You need to tell me, what was it about? Just in case it was actually a vision, that way we can prepare for it. But if you don't tell us anything, how do you expect us to protect you?"

Dante gave her a sharp look. "Protect me? I don't need protection from anything. I'm very capable of looking after myself thank you very much. Anyway, what's with the sudden change of attitude? Yesterday you and your friends wanted to kill me, and now you are concerned for me. What gives? Just because I'm related to your goddess you think we are friends or something. Well we are not, OK. So there's no need for you act concerned."

For a moment, the spiky haired girl looked injured. "Lady Artemis ordered me to make sure nothing happens to you and I have never failed her in assignment she has given me. And this will not be the first so until the solstice you will be under our protection whether you like it or not. Are we clear?"

He looked at her and she at him. Both got caught in a staring contest that neither wanted to lose. It was the sound of the other hunters waking up that put an end to their game. Dante skipped over to the bathroom; he changed quickly, then he stepped back into the room. By then, all of the hunter had already woken up and were going about their business. Dante made his way toward the cabin door and was about to take a step outside when he heard Thalia calling to him.

"Wait for us outside OK? We all going together to the mess hall for breakfast. We'll be out in a few. So don't go anywhere by yourself," she told him.

Dante bit back any response he had and just walked out from the cabin, shutting the door behind him. A few moments later the hunters emerged from the cabin and joined Dante outside. Thalia laid out her orders to her sisters, then with Cassidy accompanying her, she walked up to the front of the group and said, "OK. We are ready to go."

Thalia led the group through the cabin area and went straight for the mess hall. Half a dozen hunters had formed a perimeter around Dante. It reminded him of the way the secret service would secure the president whenever he was out in public.

Nonetheless, Dante could see the anger and frustration in their eyes; it was obvious that they were not enjoying their new assignment anymore than he was. Another fact that didn't escape Dante was that all around him campers heading for the hall would stop and look at him. Unmasked curiosity in their eyes and he knew that a few were fighting the impulse of walking up to him and ask what was going on. But by the way the hunters glared back at them they would rethink that idea and kept their distance.

Unable to take it anymore Dante snapped at Thalia. "You know you're exaggerating, right?" Without looking back at him, Thalia simply answered, "We are just following the orders Lady Artemis gave us. We are doing this to protect you."

"NO. You are doing this to annoy me just because of what happened earlier," Dante pointed out. Thalia ignored Dante altogether and just kept walking forward.

Moments later Dante was following the hunters lieutenant into the mess hall and then to the Artemis table that was their final destination. At the moment, other than some anxious looking nymphs and a few campers, the hall seemed vacant. Unfortunately, for Dante that did not stay that way for long, little by little, the campers began filling the hall.

Dante could feel every eye on him and he could hear whispering all around him. He was beginning to get that paranoid sense that people feel when they think everyone is talking about them. In Dante's case, however, he was sure that everyone indeed was talking about him.

To Dante's relief Chiron stood up and everyone's attention fell to him. Gazing out into the crowd of campers, Chiron said, "Attention please I have a few announcements this morning. As you all were informed last night our very own Dante Crescent was claimed yesterday by his Olympian parent. The goddess of the moon and hunt, Artemis has claimed Dante as hers and that's the reason why now he is sitting at her table. That's the place, where he belongs." At the end of his little speech, Chiron gave Dante a reassuring smile that made Dante feel somewhat better.

For a moment, the campers stayed riveted on Chiron's every word. Then from somewhere in the hall a voice shouted, "How can that be? Isn't Artemis supposed to remain a maiden forever?"

Voices erupted throughout the hall, echoing off the marble walls.

"Did Artemis break her oath?"

"Was he born like the Athena kids?"

"Yeah Dante were you born the normal way or our are you special?"

All of the campers were looking at Dante as if they expected him to stand up and answer their questions, something which Dante had no intention of doing so. First because he considered the issue of his birth a private matter, and second because he didn't know all of the answers himself either.

Chiron held up his hands for silence, and reluctantly the crowd quieted down a bit. Now he had to shout to be heard over the rumbling of the campers. "Enough with the questions. The birth of Dante is a personal business that only matters to him and Artemis. No one else has the right to inquire about it."

The campers grumbling subsided then finally the hall went silent.

"Now moving on to the next announcement," Chiron said. "I'm happy to inform that our Oracle of Delphi has finally returned to us for the summer. Everyone give a warm welcome to Ms. Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Chiron pointed to a red haired girl sitting in the main table right besides Mr. D. The girl gave a small wave of her hand by way of a greeting.

"Welcome back Rachel?"

Many voices shouted and for a few minutes the hall was filled with cheers and whistles for the girl. Embarrassed by the overwhelming welcome, the girl just gave them a quick smile then she lowered her gaze to her plate which she seemed to find very interesting.

"Now let us all enjoy our breakfast, then we can get started with today activities," Chiron said.

After breakfast Dante spent half of the morning trying to get through the activities as usual, and the other half trying to shake off the permanent guard that had been placed around him. Even though the hunters seemed to dislike the idea of having to follow Dante everywhere, they all were remarkably determined not to let him out of their sight not even for a second.

And that was something that was beginning to annoy Dante.

After lunch, Dante was heading down to the range for archery class, his personal guard not far behind. On his way, he spotted Abby and called out to her. She looked at him once then without a word she turned and walked in the opposite direction. _That was weird,_ Dante thought. Was she mad at him or something?

Normally Dante enjoyed being in the range shooting arrows at the targets, but today he was not really up to it. Everything that had happened had him feeling down and that was affecting his concentration so much, that for the first time, he was actually missing the targets. Something that did not go unnoticed by Chiron.

"What's wrong Dante?" Chiron asked him. "Is not like you to miss at all."

Dante simply remained silent.

Chiron sighed, "Don't let all this get to you. It's expected for everyone to be curious about you; I mean you are unique. Dante there has never been a demigod like you before. But don't worry it will pass and everything will return to normal. You'll see."

Dante was thankful to the centaur for trying to cheer him up. He looked at him and had a thought. "You knew who my mother was didn't you?"

"Yes, I figured out when you told me that it was Galetri, the woman that had been raising you until now. I could only think of one goddess who would entrust Galetri with her child. But just in case I was wrong I thought it was best to keep that theory to myself. You were much safer that way."

"I see," Dante said then he had another thought. Dante needed to talk to his mother, Galetri. She would know what he should do in his current situation, plus talking to her would make him feel a lot better and less lonely. But first he would have to get rid off his guard; he didn't want to talk to his mother with the hunters around.

Luckily the opportunity presented itself at that moment. An argument broke out between the hunters and some other girls. Apparently one the hunters had made a remark about one of the girls outfit, which did not sit right with said girl, igniting a spark.

"What would someone like you know about fashion? I mean look at the way you're dressed," the camper girl yelled.

"At least I know enough to not to dress like a slut," the hunter snapped back at her.

"How dare you call me that?"

And with that all of the hunters and camper girls were death locked in a heated argument. The angry cries of the girls were starting to come faster and louder now, so Chiron thought that was about time he stepped in.

He let out a long breath. "I better put an end to that before it gets uglier."

"Yeah, you should," Dante told him.

Chiron walked toward the group of girls and shouted above their voices, "That's enough ladies. Come on break it up."

With everyone's attention on the girls, Dante managed to get to the exit without being noticed by anyone. Finally, he was free again, at least for the moment, he knew Thalia was going to be pissed about it, but he would deal with her later. Now he had to use this time to contact his mother in Italy.

After giving enough thought to the idea of talking to his mother, Dante was faced with a new problem: he had no idea on how to reach her. He hadn't seen a phone in the camp, but he knew that some of the campers kept in touch with their mortal parents somehow. He thought about going to ask Abby, but then he remembered that she wasn't speaking to him for some strange reason. He would have to deal with that later, as well.

Dante walked aimlessly for a while around camp, allowing himself some quiet time. As he passed a few groups of campers, some of them would look at him expectantly. He smiled and tried to exude a confidence he didn't really feel. Most of them allowed him some space, but as the fourth group, he passed, one of the campers separated himself and approached him.

The boy had brown hair a thin faced with a set of wide brown eyes, a straight nose and full lips. As he fell into step besides him, a smile creased his face.

"How ya doing?" he asked.

Returning the smile, Dante said, "Good. You?"

Still smiling the boy said, " Kind of... curious about you actually."

_Here we go_, Dante was expecting something like that. "Curious. About what?"

"Well some of the girls wanted me to ask you something. They want to know if you're like your mother?"

"What do you mean like my mother?"

"You know," the boy said. "They want to know if you think that love is a complete waste of time like your mother does."

Dante stopped and so did the other boy. "I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Giovanni," the boy introduced himself.

"Well Giovanni, what are you getting at exactly?" Dante said.

Giovanni frowned in thought. "Don't get me wrong or anything OK. Some of the girls here in camp like you a lot, and they just want to know how you feel about love before they try anything with you. So...what should I tell them?"

"Well you can tell them that I don't really know how am I going to feel about love in the long term, but as for right now I'm not interested in it. That should be good enough for them."

Giovanni's smile disappeared. "I see...OK then I'll let them know. Oh, by the way, here, one of the girls sent you a present." Giovanni handed Dante a candy apple wrap in plastic.

Dante looked at the gift then at Giovanni. "Candy Apple?"

"Yeah, one of the girls in my cabin made it for you, but she was too shy to come personally to offer it to you, so she asked me to do so in her behalf. Now don't break heart OK she worked hard to get the caramel just right for you, so just take it and eat it... Well see ya."

Dante accepted the gift only because he didn't want the girls effort to go to waste. Before Giovanni could leave Dante stopped him. "Hey can I ask you question? How do talk to someone who is outside the camp?"

Giovanni turned to him. "You mean how to send an Iris message?"

"Yeah that. Can you tell me how to do it? How to send a message?"

Giovanni gave Dante quick explanation on how to used the IM. By the time he was done Dante had a basic idea on how to do so. Giovanni even gave him a few drachmas to use as an offering. "Thanks for that," Dante told Giovanni.

"No problem, anytime. Now don't forget to eat the apple OK," Giovanni said as he was leaving Dante alone.

After he left, Dante hurried up to look for the things he needed to form a rainbow and send a message to his mother. He also knew that by now the hunters would be looking for him, so he would have to be quick. He found an empty bottle near a trash can, dropping what was left of the apple he went to the lake. Luckily Dante was adept at science so knew one or two things about how the light works. He filled half the bottle with water then he exposed the end of the bottle against the sunlight, the water in the bottle fragmented light shining through and voila a dim rainbow was born.

Dante said the prayer Giovanni had told him. Then he said the name of his mother and the placed where she was at, which was Rome, after that he toss the drachma into rainbow and waited.

After a few seconds, he heard a voice coming from the rainbow; it sounded very much like a phone operator:

**"For international message please ****offer ****another drachma." **

Luckily Giovanni had given him a more than one drachma, so he tossed a second one into the rainbow. Seconds later the image of a hotel room came into view. A familiar woman was sitting in a small table in the room. A laptop in front of her and a bunch of paper in her hands Dante had no problem recognizing his mother.

"Huh...mom can you hear me?" he asked.

His mother quickly put her papers on the table and looked around she quickly saw Dante and rushed to him. "Dante is everything OK? You're not hurt, right? I've been so worried about you. How come you haven't sent me a message earlier?"

She continued to asked question about his health for a couple of minutes, at the same time she was trying to tell him how she had missed him and how worried she had been. Happy to just hear her voice, Dante allowed her to get it all out her system. Then he finally started to tell her everything that had happened to him after the last time they saw each other. After Dante had reassured Galetri that he was fine, she had chosen to listen silently to his tale.

When Dante finish she nodded her head, "I see so that's what happening over there. I'm sorry about the trouble my knife caused you. I should have know the hunters would assume you stole it from them, but in my defense, I did not know the hunters would be there already."

Finally, Dante got to ask the question that had been in his mind since the knife incident. "You were one of them, right? You were a hunter?"

Dante could see the sadness in her eyes. "Yes I used to be one the hunters of Lady Artemis."

"What happened?" he asked.

"I broke my oath. I fall in love with a man. A demigod from the camp actually," she began telling him."Lady Artemis left us in the camp for a few weeks while she did some hunting on her own. That's when I met him and... I don't know I guess he swept me off my feet completely. For him, I betrayed Lady Artemis and all my beliefs."

Dante respectfully tried to keep his questions to himself and allowed his mother to continue. " When Lady Artemis came back she was furious to find out what I had done. I thought she was going to kill me, but instead she decided to let me live. As an example for everyone else to see what happens when someone foolishly trusts a man. Specially a man that cared nothing about me or the child I was carrying."

Dante's eyes open wide. "Mikayla's dad was a demigod?"

His mother simply nodded at him.

"So you were already pregnant with Mika by then?" he asked her.

"Yes, Lady Artemis told me that she could already feel the life force forming inside of me. Believe me, finding out I was pregnant that way was quite the shock."

Dante asked another question. "What did Artemis do afterward?"

This was the part that seemed to hurt his mother the most. "She took away the power she had given me and exile me from her side and the hunt. My sisters also turned their backs on me for my betrayal."

Dante felt his anger boiling against Artemis. She had abandoned his mother just because she had done a single mistake, but he guessed he couldn't be surprise after all she had abandoned him too for being a mistake, as well. But all that led him to more questions. "I don't get it mom. If Artemis did all those things to you why did you to take care of me? Don't you hate her for that? Don't you hate me as well?"

"Of course not," his mother told him. "I could never hate Lady Artemis or you, Dante. Lady Artemis spared my life and Mika's. Then she gave me you, because of that I will always be grateful to her."

Dante felt a wave of affection for the woman in front of him. He knew she meant that with everything she had. "What about Mika's father? Did you tell him?"

His mother seemed to give some thought to that question. "Yes, but Lady Artemis was right about him. He did not care one way or the other about me or Mika. Because I was not born a demigod but a mortal, I had to leave camp right away, and I never saw him again after that. Thankfully Chiron took pity on me and decided to help me out. He was the one that introduced me to Lilian, you know."

Dante smiled. "Nana Lili," he said, remembering the 70 something old lady that always visited them on Thanksgiving's Day. Lilian Craftin was actually Joan's grandmother, but she loved both Mika and Dante as if they both were hers, as well, she was the closest thing to a gramma he had.

"Yeah, she help me a lot during those days. It was thanks to her support I got through those hard times. I'm really grateful to her and Chiron for all of their help. I don't know what would had happened to me without them."

Dante remained silent for a moment taking everything in, then he heard a beeping sound coming from the rainbow, he looked at his mother. "What's that?" he asked her.

His mother looked at him. "That sound means the message is coming to end. Do you have more drachmas you can offer?"

Dante shook his head.

His mother sighed, "Then we still have a few minutes before the connection ends. Is there anything else you want to know?"

Dante gave it thought, there were a few things he had not asked yet. He gave his mother a big smile, then asked, "How is Rome? Have you bought me a present yet?"

Galetri grinned. "I haven't gotten the time to enjoy the city yet, I been busy trying to close this deal with the new clients. And about your present? You would have to ask Mika about it. Joan and her have been going shopping every day since we got here. Knowing Mika my credit card must be maxed out by now."

"Joan's there too?" he asked.

"Yes we convinced her to come along with us. She joined us in D.C. when I went to pick up Mika from her school. They have been asking about you they can't understand why you choose to go to a summer camp instead of coming to Rome with us."

"Yeah I been wondering the same thing**,**" he told her. "Have you told Mika about me?"

Galetri shook her head. "No. I thought it was best if we tell her together." Than adopting a more serious voice his mother asked him, "Dante how do you feel about Lady Artemis being your mother?"

Dante looked at her but did not answer. So Galetri did it for him: "You're mad at her because you think she abandoned you, right? But that's not true. The night she handed you over to me I could see the pain in her eyes. In the 300 years of service, I provided to Lady Artemis, I never saw her so sad as I did that night. Giving you up was probably the hardest thing she has ever done. So don't be so hard on her and just give her a chance."

Dante still could not say anything. Hearing his mother say that to him felt like if someone had slapped him across the face. Galetri was about to tell him something else when her image disappeared. The message had ended.

Dante stood looking at the lake for a few minutes going over his mothers words in his mind. Perhaps he was been too hard on Artemis. He had rejected her before he had even given her the opportunity to properly explain her side of the story. He wondered if that had been the reason that she had bothered to come all the way to camp to talk to him in the first place, but he had been too angry to listen to her. He let out a long breath; he had decided to let Artemis talk next time he saw her, but for now, he would have to go back to the cabin and face Thalia's anger. Man she was going to let him have it this time.

He took one step in the camps direction, but a sharp pain brought him down to his knees. It felt like if his stomach was on fire. Something was burning him from the inside. _What was happening to him?_ He tried to get up, but his legs went numb and he fell flat on his face.

"Someone help," Dante let out in a small whisper. The pain didn't let him yell any louder than that. The darkness was starting to cover the world around him. Was he dying? It definitely felt that way. But even before darkness consumed him, Dante had one more dream.

(/)

The veiled women that he had seen in his other dream was now sitting in a black leather chair her Doberman right next to her. "Are you done already? Well that was quick."

"It was easy," said a man from behind her. It was the same man that she had set free from the cage. "The moment I laid down the deal they agreed to join us. There's one problem though. They tell me that the borders can not be breached, that the camp is protected by gods they say."

"**Do not worry about that.** **We already have someone in the inside helping us with that ****issue****.** **You** **just make sure you to bring the half blood to us**," the woman said, sounding like an old lady now.

"In that case, we are ready to go... Shall we?" the man said with a cruel smile on his face.

"_Go__!Let_ _the game begin,_" she said in her childish voice. The giant man gave her a nod then he proceeded to leave the room, as he was leaving he said, " I can not wait to lay my hands on the son of Artemis. I'll make him pay for what his mother did to us. I swear, brother, I will avenge you."

As the man left the room**,** the woman put a hand on the Doberman's head and began padding it affectionately. "Do not worry _Sage_ we won't let anything bad happen to our vessel. We've been waiting for this moment for years now, haven't we?"

She took the dog's head in her arms and brought it to her breast. The woman leaned her head in and whispered in its ear, "Come to think about it, what a good fortune was that, in the end, the vessel turned out to look a lot like you." The Doberman let out a soft growl. **"We know**, **sweety**, **we can hardly wait either, but we must be patient**; **the vessel will come.** He is too much like his mother to not to do so. We just have to sit here and wait for it."

She kissed the top of the dog's head then she looked up.

_"Everything begins now."_

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] There you have it what do you guys think. This was longest chapter I have written so far. I thought about cutting it half but then I thought it was best to get all this out all at once. I know my story is going a bit slow by I promise I'll pick up the pace in the next chapter. Well until then Seeya.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rewritten: All corrections were made by Hidden Firecracker.**

[A/N] Here is the next chapter of this story. Hope you guys like it. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it.

**Secret's Of The Moon**

**Chapter** **14**

Dante opened his eyes to a terrible brightness, and immediately shut them again. He tried to move his arm up to shield his face, but found that he was unable to move the limb- the other one too. Keeping his eyes closed, the light warm on his face, he tried to move his feet- they too were not responding.

Dante's gut tensed. _Why couldn't he move?_

"Dante are you awake now?" a familiar voice asked.

A hand settled on his face, thumb under his chin, fingers and palm on his cheek. Dante opened his eyes and stared into the face of the hunter's lieutenant, who removed her hand from his cheek. The girl still hovered over the right side of the bed like a vampire caught in the act. Thalia was in her typical hunter clothes, her skin an unnatural white brought on by the fluorescent lighting. Dante's head was swimming.

"Where...am I ?"

"You're in the infirmary," Thalia said, a small smile playing on her lips. "We brought you here after we found you. We thought you were dead. You weren't moving at all." Dante tried to sit up, but he wasn't able to move his body, his eyes opened wide. Looking up at Thalia, he managed to say.

"Why can't I move?"

"Don't worry about that, " she said. "It's just an effect of the poison, but the antidote we gave you should take care of that. You'll be able to move again real soon."

Dante tightened his eyes in confusion. "Poison?"

Thalia nodded her head, "Yes, you were poisoned Dante. Do you remember what happened?"

Dante shook his head. He couldn't remember clearly, and what he was saying made little sense to him. "I don't know... I talked to my mom... then I felt lots of pain... and everything went dark."

Thalia studied him. "Chiron said that there was no way someone could have poisoned your food in the hall. So you must have been poisoned afterward. Tell me, did you eat or drink something after?"

"No. Nothing," he said slowly, his voice thick with discomfort. "How long have I been here?"

"A whole day."

Dante's eyes tightened again, this time mockingly. "Don't tell me you have been so worried about me that you been here the whole time. Shouldn't you hunters not care about boys at all?"

She smiled a little "You're a special case. You're of Lady Artemis, so that makes you one us. And as the hunter's lieutenant it's my job to look after all members of the hunt. If one of them dies on my watch, how am I supposed to explain it to Lady Artemis?"

"Ahh! So you were just worried about looking bad in front of her".

Thalia's tone got a bit more serious. "I was worried about you. When they told me you couldn't be found. I had all of the hunters searched the camp for you if it wasn't for a Naiad that saw you in the lake we wouldn't have found you."

Dante could tell by her eyes that she was being honest. That made him feel guilty for being a jerk to her when she had been trying to be nice. He tried to sit up again, but had no more success than the first time. "How long is it going to be before I can move again?"

"Will said that it would take a couple of days before the paralysis wears off completely."

"Will?"

"Yeah! Will Solace the counselor of the Apollo cabin, he is the best healer in camp. His father is the god of medicine so you have nothing to worry about, he knows what he is doing." Thalia said.

"Well that good to know." Dante said. He was feeling tired and still woozy from the poison, so his eyes began to close.

"You should go ahead and rest more. You'll need to recover your strength." Thalia said. Dante gave her small nod then he closed his eyes. But as he began to drift off to sleep, he suddenly remembered ...

"The apple."

"What was that?" he heard Thalia ask.

"An apple. I had eaten a candy apple that someone gave to me. I felt sick right after that."

Thalia leaned down close, her face only inches away from Dante."Who Dante? Who gave you the apple?" Before sleep took him Dante manage to say the name of that person.

"Giovanni."

(/)

Dante woke from a sleep having no idea how long he had been out this time. He surveyed the room and realized he was still in the infirmary. Moving around he was relieved to find out that the limbs in his body were responding again. He sat on the bed and looked around the room. Thalia was no longer there, _maybe she went back to the cabin_, he thought.

"Good you're up. How you feeling cuz?"said a blonde boy entering the room. Dante remembered seeing him several times around the camp before, he was Will Solace.

"Uh... good, thanks." Dante said, after realizing he had asked him that question. "Glad, to be able to move again."

Will nodded, "Most of the poison should be out of your system by now, but its best if you take it easy for a few days."

"Yeah! I'll do that. Then I'm going to make that guy Giovanni pay for this."

Will shook his head, "I'm afraid someone might have beat you to it already." He gestured to the other side of the room where several other boys were laying on the beds. Dante recognized one of the boys.

"Is that...Giovanni?" Dante asked, surprise to see that the boy was covered in bandages. "What happen to him?"

"Well you see Giovanni and some of his Aphrodite siblings thought that it would be fun to pull a prank on you with that apple they gave you. Unfortunately, Thalia and the other hunters didn't find it as amusing as they did. And well you can see the hunters really let them have it."

"Thalia and the others did that...for me." Dante said he was having trouble processing that information. Then a revelation slowly was dawning on him. "A prank? All of this was just a prank. They almost killed me."

"Not exactly, the poison they put in the apple was meant to paralyzed you for several weeks but it wouldn't have killed you."

"OH! Well that makes me feel a lot better now." Dante said bitterly as he realized how stupid he had been for falling for the old _Snow White poison apple_ trick.

"Dude just let go," Will said,"the hunters punished them enough already, and Chiron revoked all their cabins privileges. And he is making them clean the stables for the rest of the summer."

Dante sighted.

Will was right there was no point getting angry at them anymore. After all, by the way all of the boys were heavily bandaged, it was obvious the hunters had not held back with them. Dante figured he should be grateful to the hunters for that.

"Come on forget about them now, and tell me are you feeling alright to go back to your cabin already?" Will asked.

Dante looked down at his hands then turned them over and flexed the fingers. The rest of his body felt OK too. He moved his legs to the side of the bed and tested them, making sure he was strong enough to carry his own weight before trying to stand. He could, but he was going to have to go at it slowly. His muscles were weak from disuse, and the sickness. His balance was a bit shaky too.

He turned to Will and said, "Yeah I think am good to go."

"Great," Will said, "I'll let Thalia know, she'll come and help you get to cabin 8."

"No need for that," Dante said stopping Will from calling Thalia." I'm sure I can find my way back all on my own, thank you."

"Whatever you say cuz."

Dante frowned, "Mind me asking why you keep calling me cuz?"

Will smirk, "Because that's what we are. You're the son of Artemis, and I'm a son of Apollo, so that makes us cousins. And just so you know, all the Apollo cabin feels the same way about you. So, if you ever need any help don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh! I see. Glad to know that...uh...thanks... cuz." Dante said with a smile. "I'll be going now then."

Feeling confident enough to walk Dante stood up from the bed and headed for the door. "I'll see you later cuz. Thanks for everything." he said to Will and then he walked out from the infirmary and right back into the camp.

Dante stood outside the infirmary for a few moments he was still feeling a bit weak, and walking was taking him more effort than usual. But he wasn't going to let that hold him back anymore. He would make his body recover, make his muscles and stamina return, even if he had to it by sheer force of will. Finally, he decided that he had rested enough, and it was time for him to get back to the Artemis cabin.

(/)

It felt like a hundred years since Dante had been in the cabin and it was a bit humiliating to be back there again. He had told the hunters many times that he didn't need them to protect him, but truth to be told, the moment he had been on his own he went and got himself poisoned. _Now how was he supposed __to face them?_ It didn't help either that every single one of the hunters was inside the cabin when he walked in. Of course, the moment they saw him they instantly recognized him and all the cabin went quite.

"Dante, you got out of the infirmary," Thalia said breaking the silence. Something that Dante was grateful for since he did not want to be the first to talk. "Why didn't Will call me? I told him to let me know when you were ready to leave the infirmary."

"Yeah! I told him not to call you. As you can see, I'm OK now." Dante said. "I saw what you guys did to Giovanni and his friends. You know, there was no need for you to get involved in this. I can fight my own battles."

Thalia was about to say something, but Dante held up a hand and silenced her.

"Regardless of that, I'm glad to know that there's people in here that have my back. And well I just wanted to...you know...what I'm trying to say is...well...thank you." he said, his voice hardly audible.

Thalia studied him for a moment then she gave him a small smile. "No need to thank us. Like I told you before, you're one of us now and we hunters always look after each other."

Dante looked around the cabin all of the hunters were staring at him. He could still feel some animosity coming from them, but strangely enough he felt more at ease with them than he had before. Running a hand through his hair his eyes focused back on Thalia again. "Uh...anyway changing the subject; please tell me I have not missed dinner yet. I could really go for a steak right now."

Thalia gave him another smile. "Nope, as a matter of fact you're just in time. We were about to head to the hall for dinner."

"Great lets go then..." he said, " ...but one last thing though. Don't go overboard with the whole guard thing OK. Its really uncomfortable, to have you all follow me around all the time. So you think its possible for you to lighten up a bit ?"

Thalia tilted her head as if considering the idea, "I suppose it was a bit much, huh? Fine we'll give you your space, but still you have to promise to be more careful from now on. We got a deal?"

"Deal. Now let's go eat."

Dante allowed the hunters to exit the cabin first. As they passed by some of them smiled at him. That was something he found a little odd and pleasant at the same time. Maybe there was a chance for them to mend some bridges after all. He would just have to wait and see.

(/)

Over the next few days, things in the camp were gradually getting back to normal. Most of the campers had gotten over the shock of finding out that Artemis had a kid, and now they were treating Dante as if he were any other camper. One more thing Dante was happy for was that most of his friends were talking to him again. All except Abby, who kept doing her best to avoid him, and that was staring to annoyed Dante.

If Abby didn't want to be his friend that was fine, but he at least would like to know, _Why?_ But Abby did not give him even that, so in the end Dante decided to leave things between them as they were. He was hoping with a little more time Abby would come around and be his friend again. _Hopefully._

Dante's relationship with the hunters had also improved considerably in the past few days too. He was still getting glares from them, but not as many as before. The hunters seemed to be getting used to having him around, and some even started talking to him. Madison, the first hunter he had ever fought, had even asked him to be her sparing partner in sword practice. Dante agreed since his other option was Clarisse. To Dante's surprise Madison turned out to be lot more friendly than he original thought, and they both ended up getting along pretty well.

So with everything in the camp going well Dante thought that maybe now he was going to be able to enjoy the rest of the summer. Unfortunately for him that wasn't going to be possible and that was because one night something unexpected happened...

(/)

"Dante wake up! Wake up!"

Someone was shaking him. He tried to open his eyes, but he was feeling very sleepy. It took a huge effort for him to finally wake up. Groggy, he managed to sit up on the bed then he looked around for the one that had awakened him. It was Thalia.

"What? Is it time to get up already? Its still dark outside." He said looking out the window.

"Hurry! Put your shoes on and grab your weapon and lets go." she ordered him.

"What ?" Dante replied, his eyes were slow to focus, but he saw three of the hunters grabbed their knives and bows then run out the door. The light of the lamps showed Dante that most of the cabin was already empty with the exception of Thalia and him. Complete awake now Dante heard the sound of an alarm coming from outside of the cabin. Also, the noise of battle cries and explosion were starting to reach him.

Dante turned to Thalia who was in the process of strapping her knives on her belt. "Thalia what's going on?" he asked her.

Holding a silver canister in her hand, she gave Dante a serious look then she told him.

"The camp is under attack."

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well there it is. I kind of rush in the end so I would appreciated if you guys let me know what you think about the ending of this chapter. I don't know I just feel like is missing something, but I just don't know what it is. So please give me your opinion about.

Well that's it for now see you next time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Rewritten: All corection were made by Hidden Firecracker.**

[A/N] Here is the next chapter this is my first time writing a big battle so I hope you guys like it. Anyway usual disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**Chapter 15**

_Boom!_

Dante shot to his feet, his head narrowly missing the top bunk. _Boom!_ _Boom!_ There came a rolling kind of thunder. The cabin was shuddering, but not in the way of an earthquake; more like the cabin being shelled.

_But that made no sense. _

Dante dashed to the window there was an orange glow outside of it. The camp was on fire. He leaned forward and peered into the coiling smoke, trying to make sense of what he saw.

_Boom!_ _Ba-boom!_ More explosions but they were to the left this time. The window wasn't facing that way, so he could not see, but he knew in his gut what was happening. _The camp is truly under attack._ He pressed his hand to the glass. The cabin had stabilized. It hadn't been truly hit, though it sure had felt that way at first.

Everything felt so surreal, as if he were watching a movie or something. _Monster invaders in Camp Half Blood._ It couldn't be real.

He heard a noise from behind him. He turned and saw that Thalia was putting on a pair of combat boots with quick, efficient movement. In the time it took Dante to cross back to her, she was ready for battle.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Get ready quick."

Dante snapped out of his shock and started scanning the cabin. "Where is my backpack?"

_Boom!_

Out of reflex Dante dropped to his belly. Before the echo would fade, he was flat out on the floor.

"That one was off to the side." Thalia said. "Probably one of the outer cabins. Which means the enemy is getting closer. It's probably a matter of time before they make all the way out here."

Dante wasn't talking. He found his backpack and was going through it as quickly as he could.

"Dante..." Thalia put a hand on his arm. "Maybe you should stay here after all. You're still recovering from the poison and besides you've never been in a battle like this before. It is better if you stay."

Dante stared at her for a moment; then his face screwed up in disgust. "What? You think I'm scared or something? Well forget it. I'm not staying here to hide like a coward. I'm going to fight too," he said with fierce determination.

Thalia pulled back in shock, then she rolled her eyes,"Fine, just don't get killed OK?"

Dante gave her a small nod then he grabbed his backpack and threw it open on his bed. He grabbed a pair of jeans, a leather belt, and a T-shirt. Then he began changing.

"Aie" Thalia yelled, she turned her back on him and covered her face with her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Changing" Dante said, "I'm not going to my first big battle in my pajamas." he paused a moment and snapped closed his jeans. "Don't worry I'll be done in a minute."

"Not that," Thalia snapped, "What are you doing changing in front of me? I'm a girl, stupid."

"Oops! Sorry I forgot." he said, his face getting warm.

"Just hurry up. We should be out there already." she said.

"Yes I'm almost done." he told her. More battle cries cut through the air outside, and muted explosion followed brief flickers of light. It was hard keeping an eye on what was happening outside, and dress at the same time, but somehow he managed. He grabbed his socks and shoes and hauled them on. Then he found his knife and bow.

"Are you done already?" Thalia asked her voice full of impatience.

"Yeah I'm done."

She turned to face him. "Good. Let's go then. Now." she ordered.

Dante smiled. He couldn't help but think she looked so cute, all confident and serious, with her bow in her hands and threat in her voice. _Wait cute?_ _Where did that come from?_ Thalia was out of the door before he could even start to wonder, moving with a stealth that stunned him. His smile faded.

_Well time to show what I'm made of._

(/)

Outside of the cabin Dante saw exactly the chaos he expected. Campers were running out of their cabins with weapons and shields in various states of dress and a variety of footwear. Some had their shoes on, others had slippers, and a few more were running on their socks or even barefoot.

"You see. You should have stayed in your pajamas; they would have blended right in with the new uniforms." Thalia said, then she laughed.

Dante stared at her a moment, then abruptly grinned. _Was this battlefield humor?_ If so, he liked it. She abruptly grabbed his hand and they started moving through the chaos of the camp.

A few of the counselors were shouting orders to the other campers in an attempt to get them organized.

"The enemies are in the west side of the camp. Warriors move, we need to hold their advance," one of them shouted over the noise.

"All campers under ten head to the big house, hurry," another one yelled.

"Someone go help the naiads put the fires out, and...**in** **commming**," yelled a counselor pointing to the night sky.

All campers followed the counselor's finger to the sky and saw red shining balls of fire flying through it. The campers scatter in all directions some yelling: "run" and "take cover" as the fire balls rained down on them and exploded as they made contact with the earth.

_Boom!_ _Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-boom!_ _Boom!_

The explosions echoed through the air and ground, leaving craters three times the size of basketballs in the earth. _Damn that had been close._ Thalia had tackled Dante down a second before a big flash of searing heat burned the ground where he had been standing.

"Are you OK?" she asked lending him a hand to help him stand up.

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "What was that?"

"I don't know?" Thalia admitted. "I don't recall any monsters that can used an attack like that."

Dante looked around to assess the damage made to cabins. He was relieve to see that most of the campers were getting up again, and few were already running toward those that were struggling to get back on their feet. Then Dante and Thalia both heard the high-pitched wail of a child coming from somewhere. They looked around and spotted the source; several yards away from them a little girl was half buried under the body of an older boy. She looked about 5 or 6 years old, and she was crying for the boy to get up. Dante and Thalia moved quickly to the child.

The boy had used his own body as a shield for the little girl. The girl was calling his name in between cries: "Malcolm," "Malcolm". Dante shifted the boy off the girl, but she wouldn't let go off him even when her legs were free.

"Its OK let go now," Dante said to the girl. Not that it had any effect. Dante forced the girl to let go, lifting her easily into his arms. "Here take her, while I see to him," he offered the child to Thalia, who took her right away. The little girl kept straining toward the fallen boy, wailing and kicking her legs hard now that the blood had returned to them.

"Don't let her wriggle free," Dante warned.

That seemed to be a prick to the huntress's pride. Thalia lifted her chin and tucked the girl close to her. "I know how to hold a kid!" she snapped.

Dante began searching for signs of life from the boy. He recognized him now, Malcolm the second counselor of the Athena cabin. Malcolm was the second, because the main counselor, a girl who Dante still hadn't met, had not arrived at camp, _yet_.

Dante could feel the boy's pulse. "He 's still alive. We need a healer," he yelled. Moments later three campers came to their aid. Two were boys with blonde hair, blue eyes, and tan skin- the unmistakable features of the Apollo kids. The third was a red hair girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"He's OK, but we need to get him to the infirmary," one of the boys said. The other one nodded and together they took Malcolm away.

"Here I'll take her," Rachel said taking the little girl from Thalia. "I'll make sure to keep her safe. Well good luck to you guys," she said running to the big house with the girl in her arms.

_Boom!_

Another wave of fire balls hit the outer cabins. Dante was about to run toward them to see if there weren't anymore injured campers, when Thalia grabbed him.

"Dante we need to go and help out," she said.

"That's what I'm doing. I'm going to help them out" he told her.

Thalia shook her head, "No. We'll be more helpful in the battle. Leave this area to the Apollo and Demeter kids."

Dante saw that she was right, they both were needed elsewhere. "So what's the plan?"

"We go and join the main group. Cassidy, and the rest of the hunters must have joined them by now. So we go too," she said. Then another explosion boomed.

Dante's head snapped up. He'd felt the explosion all through him- it had come from the direction of the stables. Whatever had happened, it had been big, so they had to get moving now. Thalia apparently was thinking the same thing, as she was already shifting toward the sound. Dante was at her side in a moment and they started moving in unison.

(/)

The chaos grew as they left the cabin area. Thalia and Dante ran through the grounds as quickly as they could. There were many campers who were running in the same direction as well with their weapons and shields in hand. There were also a few that were going back to the cabins carrying the injured with them.

"You think the rest of the hunters are OK? " he asked Thalia.

She didn't answer, instead she picked up speed. Dante was sure he heard the sound of the battle nearby; screams and roars like that of an angry ocean. The sound beat at him, muddling all his senses.

Finally, they reached the battle, Thalia and he paused to scan the area.

(/)

The stables were aflame. The sky had a ghoulish red glow from the fire and campers were trying to get the pegasi out of the stables safely. A few yard past the stables in the strawberry fields, the main battle was still going on. That's when Dante saw them.

_Monsters._

This was the first time Dante had actually ever seen real monsters, and he was stunned by them. As far as he could tell the monsters' army consisted of three different types. The first type were hellhounds, he knew that because of the pet hound the camp had, Ms. O'Leary, although these ones looked a lot more fierce than she did. The second type were what looked to be snake women; their upper body was human, but their lower part had two snake tails, instead of legs. And the last group were a bunch of big guys with small black eyes, sharp teeth, and tattoos all over their bodies.

"Dracaenae and Laistrygonians, " Thalia said.

"What and What," Dante asked.

"The snake women are called Dracanae, and the big guys that look like they overdose in steroids, are the Laistrygonian giants, they're cannibals. But how did they manage to get inside the camp?"

"Beats me," said Dante. Thalia gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him forward.

"Let's go, they need us," she said running toward the battle with Dante right behind her.

(/)

Thalia and Dante reached the battle and immediately were engaged by the monsters. Using their arrows they disposed of them quickly and made their way deep into their ranks. Right in front of them, in an impressive display of battle prowess, Clarisse was easily dealing with a pair of snake women. Her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, was off on the side taking care of another snake girl.

"Well look who decided to join the party," Clarisse said when she saw Dante and Thalia arriving to help. "What happened you two? Got stuck under the covers?"

Thalia frowned at her, "Clarisse!"

Clarisse smirk back at her, "OH! No. I didn't mean it like that," she said. But it was obvious she found the misunderstanding funny.

"Fill me in on the situation. How are we doing?"Thalia said as she merciless shot arrow after arrow at the monsters who fell like bowling pins.

"Well," Clarisse began, "We don't know how they got inside the camp. They caught us completely off guard, but we've been able to keep them from reaching the cabins." She pierced a hellhound with her spear, then quickly took care of two more Dracanae that were coming at her. "We need to find how they're getting in or else there could be no end to this." Clarisse finished, then she stepped in to help Chris who was battling three Dracanae at the same time. Using her spear, she took out two of them, then Chris finished off the last one.

"Thank you, honey," Chris told her. Dante couldn't tell if Clarise was blushing or not since she already had a red glow coming from her. He remembered Thalia having a similar silver glow when he had fought her before. He made a mental note to ask them later was what that about.

Three monsters came at Dante, and he notched three arrows in his bow then released them. Two Dracanae and a hell hound turned to dust right in front of him.

"I'll go see if I can find how the monsters are getting inside the camp," Thalia said at his side. "Dante find Cassidy and the others- make sure they all OK." Before Dante could tell Thalia that he was going with her, she was gone.

"Don't worry about Thalia, She can take care of herself," Clarisse told him. "Come on focus, even if Thalia stops more monsters from getting in, we still have to take care of the ones already inside." Raising her spear, she let out a battle cry. "For Ares" then she and Chris charged at the monsters, many other demigods followed them.

(/)

Dante scouted the battlefield for the other hunters, shooting down monsters left and right as he searched. He spotted several hunters among a large group of campers with bows and arrows. Chiron was leading them, the human part of his centaur body was covered by an elegant red robe, obviously he had also been sleeping when the attack began. "Archers. Aim. Fire." Chiron yelled. Dozens of arrows flew through the air and hit the monster army, many of them disappeared instantly others just fell, but before they could recover campers moved in to deliver the final blow.

"Help!" Dante heard a familiar voice yelling. He looked around and saw Madison with a hellhound right on top of her. She was stopping the beast from sinking its fangs and claws into her with her bow.

"Someone help, I can't hold much longer," she was screaming.

Dante rushed to her aid, but another hellhound suddenly appeared and charged at him. The creature came at him so fast that he had no time to defend himself before the hellhound rammed him into the ground. The beast 's hot breath blasted his face, and it's blood thirsty roar thundered in his ears, as it bared it's fangs and opened its jaws wide. Foam dripped from its rubbery black lips in anticipation of the half blood's raw flesh.

Dante didn't give it a chance. In one fluid motion, he drew his hunting knife from his belt. Aiming for the gap in between its red eyes, he drove the blade into its thick skull all the way up to its hilt. The beast collapsed on top of him then it turned to dust. _That's_ _better_, he thought coolly. Then he remembered Madison, he quickly got to his knees and looked for her. She was still holding off the hellhound, but her bow was about to snap under its weight.

There was no time to lose, grabbing his knife he twirled the blade in his hands before launching it at the hellhound, with perfect aim. The knife sliced through the air, and penetrated deep into the side of the monster's head.

The hound gave a small howl before turning to dust and finally disappearing. Quickly Dante made his way to Madison. "Madison are you OK?" he asked her.

Madison nodded her head. "Yes thank you for saving me," she said gasping for air.

"You're welcome," Dante said helping the girl to her feet. "Madison, do you know where Cassidy is?"

"She went ahead to try to bring the giants' bomb squad down."

"What bomb squad?" he asked.

Madison pointed to far end of the fields. Dante saw about twenty Lastrygonians formed in two rows of ten. The front row was crouching down and holding fire balls in their hands. The second row of giants was standing behind holding their clubs as if they were baseball bats. The first row would throw the fire balls into the air, and the second row would hit them and send them flying toward the cabins.

Dante got it now- those were the guys who were bombarding the camp. "So Cassidy went to kill them by herself."

"Not alone. A group of campers and some hunters when with her to help, but I don't think they're getting through to them. And the giants are too far away to hit with arrows." she said.

Dante could see why none of the campers could approach the giants. Another large group of Lastrygonians were forming a barrier between the half bloods and their baseball player wannabe's. "Madison go find the other hunter's and make sure they're all OK," he ordered the girl. "I'm going to help Cassidy and the others. Those Lastrygonians have to be taken down or otherwise they would destroy all of the cabins."

Before Madison could even protest or say anything else, Dante was already making his way toward the giants. Excitement was building inside of him as he thought about the idea of taking on the Lastrygonians. He was confident that he was already an expert at hunting hellhounds and Dracanaes, so it was time for him to move to the bigger prey.

For some reason, the thought of the giants as his prey was making Dante feel a new burst of power he didn't know he had. His heart began beating faster and faster. He could hear the beat of a drum in his ears, and his silver eyes turned yellow. All around him campers and monsters blended together in a blur. The only thing he could see now was the giants.

In his mind, Dante was no longer a thirteen year old boy, but a wild animal. Like a lion, completely lost in the thrill of the hunt. As the first of the giants came within his range Dante let out a fierce growl, and without a second thought he charged, ready to take down his prey.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well how do you guys think I'm doing so far. Let me know OK. Originally this chapter came out to be almost about 8,000 words. So I decided it was best to cut it in half . I'll be posting the second half real soon so I hope you stay with me.

Well that's it for now. See you next time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Rewritten: All correction were made by Hidden Firecracker**

[A/N] Here is the next chapter hope you like it. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it.

**Secret's Of The Moon**

**Chapter 16**

As Dante was about to face his first giant, he had an urge to deal with him up close and personal. Discarding his bow he drew his silver plated hunting knife from his sheath and charged. _Thwack!_ Dante took out the monster with a quick blow to the neck. The giant dropped liked a sack of potatoes onto the ground. He turned to dust immediately after.

_One_ _down_, _a_ _lot_ _more_ _to_ _go_, he thought.

The blade of his knife reflected the light of the moon. Several feet away, a second giant had heard his friend hit the ground. Puzzled, he turned his dark eyes toward the sound. Dante was already only inches away from him. He dealt with the giant quickly, inflicting a fatal blow to its neck with his knife. The look on the Lastrygonian's face was almost comical in its stunned bewilderment. He was gone before his body even hit the ground.

_Two down!_

By now, some of the other giants were aware that something was amiss, but Dante barely gave them a second to react before attacking them, as well. He moved with preternatural speed and efficiency, striking in the night like the predator he was. The odds against him were not even cause for concern.

A third giant took a swing at him with his club, yet Dante passed before his sight like a blur. The Lastrygonian swung his club around trying to get another shot at the half blood taking him and the other giants apart. Suddenly, Dante was right beside him, he drove his knife deep into the giant's chest, who disappear almost instantly.

_Three down, but is not merely enough!_

Two more Laistrygonians spun around with their clubs, but Dante was no longer where he had been standing only seconds before. In a heartbeat, he was closer than they expected, less than a foot away from both of them. He gave two quick slashes with his knife, and it was lights out for them too.

_More!_

All of his life Dante had always felt as if he were missing something, but for the first time, he felt the gnawing emptiness inside him abate. This was what he had been craving all this time, even if he hadn't realized _it_. He had been born to do this, to hunt. He couldn't get enough of it.

He closed his eyes and savored the invigorating bite of the wind upon his face. His auburn hair was now soaked in sweat, making so the cold breeze felt good. Shouts, screams, and fierce howls could be heard from all directions. Clearly, the other campers were engaged in similar confrontations throughout the battlefield, desperately trying to keep the monsters from destroying their camp.

Dante recalled that a multitude of giants that were throwing fire balls at the cabins. He realized that every one of them represented a potential prey. For all he knew, those giants could be harder to hunt than the first group. Dante's eyes snapped open- they now burned with an eerie yellow color. He searched the field for the giant's main group, at last, he spotted them a few yards ahead. Dante required no further prompting. In a blur of motion, he drew his knife and sprang toward them.

The Laistrygonians saw him coming, the ones with the fire balls began throwing them at him, Dante zigzaged in order to avoid been hit, but he still managed to keep his momentum going. Three giants separated from the main group and ran forward with their clubs ready to swing at him.

Outnumbered and armed only with his knife, Dante actually regretted leaving his bow behind. He could probably bring one of the giants down by throwing the knife at his skull, but that would leave him completely empty handed. One of the giants got close enough and tried to smash him with his club. Dante jump forward and taking full advantage of his small sizes, he rolled in between the giant's legs. He rolled to a stop right behind him, then turning around he leaped onto its back. The giant let out a painful roar as Dante's knife found his jugular. Dante barely recognized the feral rage that was fueling his attack. Instinct took over as he surrendered to a primal compulsion to rend and kill.

He jumped off the giant's back as it exploded into a cloud of dust. He tumbled into the ground and scrambled back onto his feet quickly, veering right to avoid being hit by another giant furious swing. Dante tried leaping onto him too, but the Lastrygonian fought back with lightning reflexes. A massive hand smacked into Dante's side, throwing him off his foe. Pain exploded inside Dante's skull as he hit the ground hard. His whole head was ringing.

He shook off the blow, just in time as another club came crushing down toward him. He rolled to the side the giant's weapon miss him by inches. Dante scrambled back onto his feet as the two giants began closing on him. His eyes shifted from one to another trying to anticipate which one of them would make the first move. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the rest of the Laistrygonians breaking their formation and began charging at him.

Not that it mattered to him at all, in fact, he was finding it more exciting.

He waved his silver bladed knife back and forth in front of them. _Come_ _and_ _get_ _me_, he dared them. A giant on his right gave away its intentions by raising his club, then let out a hostile roar, another sign he was about to attack. Dante watched him carefully, while still trying to keep track of the other giants approaching him.

Then without warning, an unexpected wave of arrows hit the giants. The rest of the campers had finally managed to get through the giants defenses and got close enough to use their arrows on the main group. Dante growled like an animal as he watched his prey succumb to the arrows and disappear right before him.

_No!_

Dante heard footsteps pounding on the pavement behind him. Then a girl's voice yelled, "Dante are you OK? How did you...Auggh!" Dante had turned around and without warning grabbed the girl by the neck.

"They were mine," he said in a growl.

"Dante what are... its me... Cassidy," the girl barely managed to say. Dante looked at the panicked girl. Her terrified face hit him like a sledgehammer. She looked scared to death.

_Of me?_

The thought was like a splash of cold water, restoring his sanity. He could see himself in Cassidy's big green frightened eyes, and a blood crazed boy with yellow eyes stared back at him. Dante let go of Cassidy and said, "Oh Gods... Cassidy, I'm so sorry." His voice sounded alien to him. He looked at the girl in front of him she was gasping for air and had a hand on her neck. Dante realized that he had been only seconds away from ripping out the girl's throat.

Sickened with himself, he stepped away from her. His mind recoiled from what he had almost done; it was as if he had been someone else entirely. His silver eyes searched the face of the girl, seeking forgiveness and understanding. She stared fearfully back at him, then her look turned to that of confusion, as if she were trying to make sense of what had happened.

"What was that about?" she asked him.

"I don't... I don't know," he said looking at his hands. He couldn't believe that he had almost attacked some one that supposed to be an ally to him... a friend. And yet he had come so close to...

It was all too much for him. The ground began to spin around and he dropped to his knees, exhausted. All of the sudden he felt thoroughly drained, as if he had just run a marathon wearing iron boots.

Cassidy dropped down onto her knees next to him. "Are you OK?"

Dante looked at her, "I'm the one that should be asking you that. Cassidy I'm sorry I don't know what came over me... I'm really sorry."

"Never mind that. I'm fine, you just surprised me that's all," she said as though what had just transpired between them was no big deal.

_She_ _is_ _lying_, Dante thought. He wasn't fooled by her cool attitude, he could see in her eyes that his actions had shaken her. He would have to try to make up to her later, but for now, he was glad that she was letting it slide.

"Dante that was amazing," he heard someone yell. He looked up and saw his friend Ian approaching along with a few other campers. "How were you able to move that fast? I mean one moment you were there then..._zoom_... you where over there, and I was like WOW," Ian said, excited. "So how did you do it?"

"I don't know how I did anything, Ian," Dante said as the rest of the campers assembled all around him. Dante looked around and saw Cindy and Gemma among the group. They looked at him, then at Cassidy with concern. He wondered if perhaps they might have seen what had happened between them.

_Are they scared of me now? _he thought_._

"Are you two...OK?" Gemma asked.

It was Cassidy who answered for the both of them. "Yes everything is OK," she said. Cindy was about to ask something else, but Cassidy cut her off. "Come on save the questions for later. We took the giant's main group down, but we still have to deal with the other monsters. We must return to the battle."

"She is right," someone else said. "Everyone lets go we have a battle to win." Every camper nodded then they all started off toward the battle again. Gemma and Cindy stayed behind.

"Gemma, Cindy go with them too," Cassidy ordered them. "We'll catch up in a moment." Both girls looked as if they wanted to protest, but in the end, they choose not to. Before leaving to join the battle again, Gemma approached Dante. "Here I found this on the ground and thought you might want it back," she said handing him his Martin bow back.

"Thanks." Dante said, taking his bow from her. Gemma gave him a small smile then she and Cindy went to join the others.

Once Dante and Cassidy were alone again she asked him, "Are you sure you can still keep fighting?"

"Yeah I think so," he said. He didn't know if he could fight without losing control again, but that wasn't the time to start second guessing himself. Not when the camp needed him most. He would have to risk it- there was no other choice.

Dante shouldered his Martin and gripped his knife. "Well ready to finish this?" he asked Cassidy. She looked at him then nodded her head. "OK then let's go." he said. They both made their way toward the battle and quickly began taking down as many monsters as they could.

(/)

The demigod army fought hard, but it was clear that the monsters' numbers were just too great. The only plus was that it looked like no more monsters were getting inside the camp anymore. Dante thought that Thalia may have something to do with that. She had probably finally found the source of the monster's invasion and shut it down, stopping them from getting more reinforcements. But still that didn't make the battle for them any easier.

_There's_ _just too_ _many of them, _he thought_._ _We need help._

Then, as if someone had answered his plea, the sound of a horn split the air. Then echoing up through the woods came battle cries. A hundred Satyr's and Nymphs stormed out of the forest to join the fray. Most brandished swords and wooden shields, others instead of carring weapons had reed pipes with them. A young satyr with curly brown hair and a set of horns barely sticking out of it, seemed to be the one leading them.

"For Pan, For the Wild." he yelled.

Somewhere behind him another Satyr shouted, " Let's go, follow Lord Grover." Then what looked like a wave of sheer wild force sweep the battle field. Within moments of the satyrs and nymphs joining in, the tide of the battle had turned decisively toward the campers. Those monsters that did not want to be turned to dust were literally heading for the hills, others to the forest, and in either case, the campers gave chase.

Anyway you figured, the battle was over, the monsters' army was in full retreat now. As Dante finished off a few hell hounds with his arrows, a revelation hit him. _Where was Thalia at?_ If Thalia had indeed responsible for the sudden stopped of monsters entering the camp, where was she now? He quickly surveyed the battle, campers outnumbered the monsters now, but still he could not see Thalia among any of the groups or anywhere in the battlefield for that matter.

Then he spotted something, on the run, a group of about six giants were making their way to the forest with incredible speed. One of the giants was carrying something over its shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Dante's eyes open wide in shock. He would recognize that black spiky hair anywhere.

"No. Thalia." he shouted.

Then he rushed through the fields after the giants. "Dante where are you going?" He heard Cassidy yell after him, but he had no time to give an explanation. He had to catch up to the giants before they reached the borders of the camp.

(/)

By the time Dante reached the edge of the woods, the giants had already disappeared inside of it. Fortunately, the moment Dante stepped inside the forest he knew which direction the giants were heading for. It was as if he could sense all the creatures moving through the woods in that moment. He did not waste time wondering how he could do it, all he could think about was to rescuing Thalia.

As he ran through the forest, Dante noticed that the shadows cloaking the woods were rapidly lifting as dawn finally approached. That's when he saw the giants ahead of him. They had almost made it to borders so that Dante had to think of something to slow them down, or he risk losing them outside the camp.

Without slowing down, he took his bow and aimed at the head of the giant carrying Thalia. If he could make the giant drop her, that could buy him enough time to catch up. He only had one arrow left so he had to make the shot count. He was about to release the arrow when suddenly his odds of saving Thalia declined dramatically. A massive fist had come out of nowhere and slammed Dante into a tree. His hand that had been holding his bow abruptly found itself empty.

The sudden impact left Dante dazed and seeing stars. He shook off the blow and looked around for his bow. He saw it lying on the ground just a few feet way. He reached out to recover it, but before he could a huge foot came crashing down on top of the bow destroying it completely.

Dante was stunned to see the enormous man who was standing right in front of him. The man grined evilly then began advancing toward him. With every step he took the ground vibrated. His arms were bigger than most men's tighs, and his neck was lost in the huge knot of muscles along his shoulders. He was dressed in a long leather vest, leather slacks, and black leather boots. He had short black hair and his eyes were black as puddles of oil.

Still Dante recognized the walking mountain coming toward him. It was the man he had seen being released from a cage in one of his dreams. He could not believe that he was actually real. Thalia had told Dante that a demigod's dreams were not always just dreams, but he hadn't truly believed her. Now he was thinking that seeing this monster of a man in front of him was an awful way to realize she had actually been telling the truth.

_Thalia_, he remembered. _I have to save Thalia._

Dante looked past the man and saw that the giants were standing at the edge of the forest. They all seemed to be waiting for the man to go and join them so that they all could leave. Dante understood he was their leader.

"I've been looking for you, son of Artemis," the man declared. "You 're a lot smaller than I had thought you would be. Small like a little worm."

With his chin held high Dante looked at the man directly in the eyes. "Give Thalia back. What do you want with her anyway? I thought I was the one you were after," he said remembering what he had heard the man and the veil woman talking about in his dream.

The giant man eyed him thoughtfully, his face inscrutable. "Indeed you are the one we actually want, but right now the daughter of Zeus is the one we need."

_The one they need?_ _Need for what?_ Dante had no idea what he meant by that, but he wasn't about to let them take Thalia. "Let her go, or else..."

"Or else what? You are going to kill me?" the man said grinning. "You're welcome to come and try little half blood."

"Fine if that's the way you want it," Dante said unsheathing his knife and charging at the man. In a flash, he closed the gap between them and then he stabbed the man dead center in the chest.

_Clank!_

Dante heard a metallic sound then he was looking at his broken blade in disbelief. The man's mouth stretched in a hideously self satisfied grin. Then his fist swung out connecting solidly with Dante's jaw, taking him of his feet. Dante's head snapped back, his arms splaying at his sides, then he went limp.

The giant man pulled him to his feet. Dante was still stunned from the hit and for the moment, all he could do was stand, and sway.

"Is that it?" The man asked dismissively, punching Dante in the face and sending him back into the ground. "Don't tell me I came all the way out here just for this. Pathetic."

Before Dante could even think of something to defend himself, the man's ham sized hand wrapped around his neck. Then the man lifted his body like it weighed no more than a child's rag doll. He struggled to break free, but his powerful limb held him fast. The giant's hand closed about Dante's throat, and he gasped for breath as the man crushed his wind pipe with killing force.

"It would be so easy for me to kill you right now," the man said, " but there are other plans for you. Now listen carefully- this is how the deal is gone go." He squeezed even harder than before. "If you want your mommy's hunter back, deliver 10 million drachmas to the Troll under the Aurora by the next full moon."

Dante was trying to make sense of what the man was saying. _Was he asking for a ransom?_

"If you don't deliver it my cannibal friends will finally know how Zeus' very own flesh and blood taste like. And I'll tell you they like their food to be alive when they start eating it." The man said, flinging Dante away, like nothing.

Dante had always wanted to know how flying felt like, but he was sure that this particular method was going to..."Uh!"...end in a very painful way. Dante had slammed viciously against the side of a tree. He was trying to pick himself up when the man lumbered over him.

"One more thing," he said. Then his fist slammed into Dante's face with bone jarring force, leaving Dante twitching on the ground. "That was for my brother," he said, then he turned and walk away.

"Don't forget; 10 million by the next full moon." The man said giving Dante one last looked before leaving with the giants. They were taking Thalia with them, too.

Dante tried to crawl after them, but he couldn't even do that. He could do nothing more than to lie there watching them disappear through helpless eyes. "Damm! Damm! Damm!" Anger, grief, and other emotions rushed over him. His clenched fist pounded on the ground, and tears were running down his face.

**"Thalia!"** he shouted as loud as he could, but she was already gone.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Ok what do you guys think of this chapter? Please let me know Ok. Well that's it for now I'll see ya next time


	17. Chapter 17

**Rewritten: My regular beta is currently unavailable, but Hidden Firecraker has volunteer to help me out in the mean time. So Hidden Firecraker thanks for all your work. **

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**Chapter 17**

Dante awoke with a violent start and the taste of ambrosia in his mouth. "What...what...Thalia! They got Thalia!" A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned drawing reflexively back to punch, pulling it as he looked up into the face of Cassidy.

"It's okay," she said. "It's me."

"They got her! They got Thalia! I couldn't stop them."

"Easy... settle now" Cassidy said.

Dante looked around now to see that Gemma, Cindy and the rest of the hunters were all around his bed in the cabin. He took some small satisfaction on seeing that all of them seemed to be OK- well almost all of them. Thalia was not there.

"How did I get back to the cabin?" he asked, his body a mass of pain, his head was pounding to an unseen but insistent drumbeat.

"That girl Abby." Cassidy said, referring to the daughter of Hecate. "She saw the giants taking Thalia and then you going into the forest after them. She followed you but by the time she found you the giants were gone, and you were already unconscious. She brought you back to the camp for help but the infirmary was full with all the injured campers, so we brought you back to the cabin instead."

"The Laistrygonians," Dante said. "They took Thalia with them."

"We know." Cassidy said. "We tried to go after them, but their trail disappeared right outside the borders of the camp. Its like they just vanished."

"This is all we could find," Gemma said holding Thalia silver tiara in her hands. " But why would they take Thalia? What could they possible want from her?" They all took turns looking at each other and shrugging. None of them could come up with a reasonable explanation for the giants actions.

"They want a ransom for her." Dante told them. "10 million drachmas. That's what the leader of the giants said to me. If we want Thalia back, we had to pay them that amount before the next full moon or they kill her."

"Ten million drachmas," Cassidy said sitting on the bed next to Dante, "But that makes no sense. Why would monsters asked for something like that?"

"Why is not important right now," Dante said. "What we need to do is go after them. We just have to track them down and snatch Thalia back."

He looked around at the hunters and they all nodded in approval of the plan. By the look on their faces Dante could tell that they all had been waiting for someone to say that. They immediately started to get ready to head out and get their lieutenant back.

Cassidy shook her head. "Wait a sec. We don't know where they took her or in which direction they went. We just can't go out on a wild goose chase."

Dante frowned. "Well what do you suggest we do then? We can't just stay here and do nothing."

"We won't." Cassidy said. "We've been waiting for you to wake up. Since you are the son of Lady Artemis, Chiron thinks it best if you are the one who asks The Oracle for a quest."

"A quest?"

"Yes if you ask The Oracle, she can tell you how to find Thalia." Cassidy said.

"You should have said that in the first place. Come on, what are we waiting for? Lets go," Dante said getting up from the bed. He was on his way to the door when Cassidy stopped him.

"What?" he asked her.

"I just want to make sure you're up for this. You were in pretty bad shape. We gave you ambrosia and nectar to heal your wounds but not enough to heal you completely," she said letting go of him.

True Dante was still in pain, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from going to rescue Thalia. "Don't worry about me, I'm good. Come on we are wasting time here; we should go and see Chiron so that we can get this quest and be on our way."

Cassidy didn't seem to believe him but thankfully she didn't argue anymore. She turned to address the rest of the hunters. "All of you stayed here-only Dante and I are going to see Chiron and The Oracle. Once we hear what The Oracle has to say we'll come back and let you know." With that said Dante and Cassidy leave left the cabin.

(/).

On the way to the big house, Dante got to see exactly how much damage the camp had received. Several cabins had broken windows, and others showed clear signs that they had been on fire at some point. Also, dozens of small craters that were made by the giant's fire balls could be seen everywhere. Dante was surprised to see that even though it had been only hours since the attack the campers where wasting no time beginning the reconstruction. The half bloods were walking to their cabins carrying materials and tools instead of their usual weapons and shields.

The satyrs and nymphs were also helping out with the reconstruction effort. They were filling back the craters with dirt then using nature magic that would make fresh grass grow on the spot covering the patches. With everyone helping out, Dante was sure that the camp would be back to normal in no time. He felt guilty that he wasn't lending them a hand, but in that moment, Thalia was all that mattered to him.

As he and Cassidy were walking toward the big house, he couldn't help but to look at Cassidy with some sympathy. "What?" Cassidy asked when she noticed Dante starring at her.

"Nothing...its just that you're taking Thalia's kidnapping a lot better than I thought."

"With Lady Artemis and Thalia gone I'm the one in charge. I have to stay calm for the sake of all the others. Besides, Thalia's not in any danger, well not immediately. She's too valuable."

A grave expression took over Dante's face. "Cassidy... I hate to say this, but based on what I know about kidnappings a certain numbers of victims gets killed right outta the chutes. A lot of people pay ransoms just to get a corpse in return."

"And you're saying this why? What happened to the guy that was determined to save Thalia moments ago in the cabin?"

"Oh! I'm still planning on getting Thalia back no matter what. But I just think we also need to consider that possibility."

Eyes narrowing, Cassidy shook her head. "That's not going to happen. You're forgetting that Thalia is a daughter Zeus; she's a lot stronger than you think. She'll keep herself alive until we get to her, you'll see."

Dante smirked humorlessly. "And here I thought you were just holding it in, but I believe you. Thalia is tough, she'll figure something out. We just need to focus on finding her a soon as possible." Cassidy smiled a little and nodded at that reassurance they picked up the pace and headed to the big house.

(/)

When they finally arrived, Chiron was in his full centaur form waiting for them out on the porch. Rachel stood on Chiron's right, the wind tossing her long red hair back and forth. She smiled and waved casually at them as they approached.

"I'm glad to see you are already up Dante." Chiron said. "Hope you're ready to go out on your first quest."

Dante strode over to Chiron, standing just a foot from him. "Yeah I am. Just tell me where it is that I need to go, and I'll be on my way."

Chiron bowed his head slightly. "It is good to know you're so eager to go already, but first there are a few things we need to talk about. I would like to hear from you what exactly happened in the forest. But we shall go inside first. Rachel please take them to the kitchen I'll be right there in a minute."

Cassidy and Dante followed Rachel inside the house where she showed them to the kitchen. They all sat around the kitchen table waiting for Chiron, who entered a couple of minutes later. He had settled himself back into his wheelchair and took a spot in the was ready to listen attentively.

It took Dante about five minutes to lay out the whole story for him. When he finished, Chiron remained quiet for a moment.

"I see," he sighed, shaking his head. "I can't figure out why monsters would make such an unusual request for a ransom. Normally only the gods and half bloods used drachmas, monsters have no need for them. So why ask for such an insane amount of them? Strange."

"That's what I said, is just weird." Cassidy said.

Chiron nodded slowly. "And there's this mystery man to consider too. By your description Dante, he doesn't seem to be a Laistrygonian, so who could it be? You said your knife broke when you tried to stab him, right? Tell me, did he had armor or something?"

"Nope he wasn't wearing one, but there was a very strange sound when my knife made contact with him. It sounded as if I just hit metal."

Chiron sat forward in his chair. "Like metal, you say. Mmm... It sounds as if this man might have the curse of Achilles on him."

"Curse of Achilles," Rachel said from the chair next to Chiron, "you mean he may have the same power as Percy." Chiron nodded in agreement.

"What's the curse of Achilles?" Dante asked.

"The curse of Achilles is a power that someone can only obtain by bathing in the river Styx. It makes that person's body invulnerable to any sort of harm." Chiron explained to him.

"Invulnerability to harm, like from weapons and stuff. So basically whoever has this power can't be killed" said Dante trying his best to get his mind to grasp that concept.

"Not entirely, they can be killed. Everyone with invulnerability has a weak point somewhere in their body. For example; Achille's weak point was his heel, but that weak point varies with everyone. It could be any part of the body." said Chiron.

"Chiron do you have any idea who this man could be?" asked Cassidy. " His identity could help us figure out his weakness as well as his true intention for doing something like this."

"No, as far as I know the only one that should have the power invulnerability is Percy. I can't think of anyone else that could have obtained too."

" I see," said Cassidy, "what about the way they managed to get inside camp? Any clues on that?"

_Good_ _question_, Dante thought. He'd been wondering that too, although remembering one of his dreams he had a suspicion on how the monsters managed to pull that off.

"Clarisse and I were discussing that earlier," Chiron volunteered. "The barrrier around the camp seem to be working fine, so the only explanation is that someone inside the camp allowed them entry."

"A traitor," said Cassidy and that was exactly what Dante had been thinking too. "There's a traitor inside the camp."

"We are not sure about that yet," Chiron said raising a scolding finger. "Without proof of treason, we won't be accusing anyone in this camp of been a traitor. But don't worry Clarisse is already looking into it. So, for now put that thought out of your heads, and let us focus on trying to get Thalia back."

It was obvious that the thought of a traitor bothered Cassidy just as much as it did everyone else, but she reluctantly dropped the subject, for now. Dante thought it was the best choice since Thalia was more important than a traitor that may or may not exist.

"So how are we gonna get Thalia back? Are we gonna pay? Is it even possible to get that many drachmas here at camp?" Dante asked harvesting a small hope that the camp, being a place that took care of the god's children, was well funded by gods.

Chiron arched an eyebrow, shrugged. " There's no way for us provide that amount. This camp is self sufficient; we depend on the strawberry sales we make and that's barely enough to get us by every year. Not to mention our budget took a big hit today with most of the fields destroyed by the battle. Mr. D is out there right now fixing them but still we're looking forward to some hard times these next few weeks."

"What about Zeus? Won't he help save his daughter?" Dante asked.

Chiron arched his eyebrows even more than before. "You want to go ask Lord Zeus for the ransom?"

Dante nodded, " Its worth a shot don't you think?"

"Lord Zeus cares for Thalia a lot, but I don't know if he would be able to help with this. Gods aren't allowed to help their children directly. I mean he wasn't able to help much when your mother Artemis was kidnapped a few years ago." Chiron said.

"Artemis was kidnapped? How?" Dante asked not believing that someone could have been able to kidnap a goddess.

"It's a long story Dante. I'll tell it to you later, but right now we need to stay on track." Cassidy told him.

Dante nodded at her then turned his attention back to Chiron. "In the case that Zeus won't help, I have come up with another plan." Dante said. The he went on and explained to everyone at the table what he had in mind.

His plan was easy enough; they would go to the drop point and set a trap for the giants. Then when they showed up with Thalia they would hit them and snatch Thalia back. Once she was secure they would just run as fast as they could away from the giants. Dante was confident that they all were a lot faster than them, so the chances of the plan working were really good.

Chiron's face wrinkled. "Your plan has merit Dante, but you're forgetting one thing. We still don't know exactly where the drop is. We have no idea of whom and where is this troll. We must figure that out first. So anyone... ideas?"

Cassidy and Dante both looked at each other then they shrugged. Neither of them could think of anything. Then all of a sudden Rachel raised her hand as if she were in class. "Yes Rachel," said Chiron addressing her.

"Sorry but I been thinking, is it possible for this troll to actually be a place and not someone?" she said. Everyone in the kitchen remained quite just looking at her for a moment.

Dante made a face, "A place called The Troll, is there actually such thing as that?"

"Yes there is. The Fremont Troll," Rachel offered. Everyone shook their heads.

"No clue to what that is. Try using English." Dante said.

Rachel shook her head, "You guys have never heard about the Fremont Troll? You know you should try reading an art magazine sometime. I'm talking about the statue of the Troll under the Aurora Avenue Bridge in Seattle. The Fremont Troll."

"Fremont Troll," Chiron echoed. "Seattle... yes that very well could be. After all Seattle is Laistrygonian territory. It fits with what that man said, _The troll under the Aurora_. The Fremont Troll statue under the Aurora Bridge that has to be the drop point. Thank you very much Rachel; that was very helpful."

"OH! You're welcome," said Rachel blushing.

"Great," Dante said as he rose from the table. We now know where to go. So we should get moving then. There's only three days before the full moon. We don't have time to waste."

Chiron raised his hand calling Dante to a halt. "Not so fast Dante you still need to get a prophecy from The Oracle in order to make this an official quest. Otherwise, Mr. D won't allow you to go anywhere."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that. Sorry. Umm... how am I supposed to get one again?" Dante asked, looking down at the seated Chiron.

Chiron filled Dante in on the details of how to ask The Oracle for a quest. Then he and Cassidy proceed to leave Dante and Rachel alone since it was custom for only one person to be with The Oracle when a prophecy was given.

"So I just have to ask you any question related to what I want to know, right?" Dante asked Rachel once Chiron and Cassidy had left the kitchen.

"Yeah I think that's how it works," Rachel said, nodding.

"OK then let's see...umm... OK I got one. _Where exactly do__I need to go to find Thalia?"_

Crossing her arms Rachel stared at the boy in front of her, but said nothing. Dante stared back at her from across the table and waited for a few minutes before asking. "How come you're not saying anything? Did I do it wrong or something?"

"No is not that, "said Rachel. "Its just that, the spirit of Delphi inside of me only speaks when it feels like it. So this might take a while. So be patient."

"OK I'll wait then. How long could it take?"

Ninety minutes later Dante was still waiting for The Oracle to speak. He and Rachel had gone from waiting in the kitchen to the living room which was more comfortable. Chiron had come back to check on them a few times, but once they told him that there hadn't been anything yet, he would leave them alone again.

Rachel and Dante passed the time by making small talk so that they wouldn't get bored.

"So this Troll statue, what does it look like?" Dante asked her.

"Its this incredible sculpture under the bridge," Rachel said. "It actually looks like a big bearded dude on his belly with this car in one hand. The statue is freakin' huge, so you won't be able to miss it."

"A bearded guy with a car in his hand? Seriously, some one thought that making a statue of troll would be considered art."

Rachel slapped herself on the forehead and uttered, "Everyone is an art critic. I miss Annabeth, she the only one in this place that knows how to appreciate good art."

It was already a little more than two hours and Dante was beginning to lose patience. He wondered if perhaps he should try to ask another question. He was about to suggest that to Rachel when he noticed that something weird was happening to her. Rachel had gone real quiet and was now sitting on the couch completely still with her eyes closed.

"Rachel are you OK?" Dante asked.

Her eyes snapped open and there was this strange green glow in them. The room temperature dropped drastically and a strange green mist was forming out of nowhere. Then Rachel spoke in a voice that wasn't her own.

_On top of seven hills the daughter of lightning awaits. _

_Campers and hunters shall go west to her aid. _

_Enemies __on the curse island a trap have set. _

_A betrayal will make the heroes fall for it. _

_And the huntress' son shall meet a horrible fate. _

_Only a traitor can help him escape. _

_Whether or not they all come back safe. _

_Has not been decided yet. _

After the last line, Rachel returned to normal along with the entire room. She remained seated staring at Dante for few seconds. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked. "Wait, did I say a prophesy already?

Dante nodded he was still shocked from what he had witnessed and heard. "Yeah...umm...you did. Let's go find Chiron and let him know."

Dante and Rachel went outside to the porch where Chiron was going over the damage reports the cabin counselor had made for him. Dante quickly explained what had happened and what Rachel had said.

"Seven hills, huh," said Chiron after Dante told him the whole prophecy. "Well at least now we know for sure that Seattle is the right place."

"We do?" said Dante.

"Just as Rome was considered to have been built on top of seven hills, so is Seattle. So assuming the Lastrygonians are not stupid enough to try to take Thalia across the ocean to Rome, the city of Seattle is the only logical option." Chiron said. "Now though, the part regarding a traitor worries me, but not as much as the part concerning you. _The huntress' __son shall meet a horrible fate._ That doesn't sound good."

"That doesn't matter to me," said Dante. " I don't care what happens as long as we can save Thalia in the end." Chiron was about to say something, but Dante cut him off. "So, now that we have a prophecy we can go right?" said Dante trying his best to sound unconcerned by what the future may hold for him.

"By the way, where's Cassidy, wasn't she with you?"

Still with concern in his eyes Chiron answered him, "She went back to cabin 8 already. She said she was going to prepare everything to leave a soon as you got the prophecy. And yes now that Rachel has given you a prophecy you can go. But you need to gather a few companions first, three is the normally the right number for a quest. The prophecy said campers and hunters, so I suggest you choose one camper and another hunter to go with you. Choose very carefully Dante, OK? Make sure they are those you can completely trust."

Dante nodded, "Got it. Cassidy is probably coming with me, so all I need now is a camper. I'll go ask if anyone wants to come with us."

"Once you decide who gets to go with you, come back here. I''ll, tell Argos to get ready to take you to New York. There you will begin your quest." Chiron said. After that Dante started walking back to the camp to begin his search for the third member of his group.

(/)

On the way back to the cabins, Dante was trying to think of which of the campers to ask for help. He knew he should probably ask a girl, since he was sure that Cassidy was gone raise hell if another boy was tagging along. So it was best to try to avoid that problem. He thought about asking Clarisse since she was the toughest girl in camp aside from the hunters themselves, and he already had seen what she could do in a battle. _Yep definitely Clarisse is a good choice and__her experience could come handy, _he thought_._

He was halfway down the road when suddenly a weird feeling made him stop dead in his tracks. Dante could feel a very hostile presence nearby, but he couldn't see where it was coming from. He turned to his right and several yards away from him was a single large tree.

He narrowed his eyes at it then said. " I know you're there come out. Show yourself. "

For a moment, there was no response then from the shadow of the tree an icy male voice intoned, " You sense me! No one has ever done that before. You really have good instincts as expected from the son of Artemis."

Dante felt his stomach drop and a chill sweep over him as he was seeing the body of a boy emerge from the shadows. "Who are you?" Dante asked.

The boy smiled in a very creepy way then he said, " I'm Nico. Nico diAngelo, son of Hades."

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well there it is the next chapter of this little tale. Sorry it took so long, but I been very busy this last couple of weeks. But I'm back now I'll try to updated the next chapter faster this time I promise. Well let me know what you guys think of this chapter in your reviews OK. Well that's it for now see ya next time.


	18. Chapter 18

**Rewritten: Correction were made by Hidden Firecraker.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secret's of The Moon**

**Ch.** **18**

Dante was quick to make an assessment of the boy, he had pale skin and black hair. He also wore a black T-shirt and jeans, and a black bladed sword hung from his belt.

"Dante...Crescent, isn't it?" Nico asked.

"Yeah thats me. Is there any particular reason why you're asking?" Dante asked raising his chin, and trying to send out confident body language that didn't truly reflect his current state of mind. He didn't like the vibes he was getting from Nico, it felt as if he were more likely to attack rather than talk.

Even when Nico stepped into the sunlight he had a permanent somber look in his eyes. Nico's thin lips created a straight line that turned up maybe a tenth of an inch at each corner in what was, technically at least, a smile.

"Yeah actually there is," Nico admitted. "I heard that you're going out on a quest. I would like to go with you."

"Really, you do?" Dante said flatly.

"Yes I do. You see Thalia is...a friend of mine and I would like to go and help her."

"You're a friend of Thalia's. Weird she hasn't mentioned you before. I mean she has told me about her friend Percy, the son of Poseidon, but never about you."

Nico stood quite for a moment, then he sighed, "Fine we're not exactly friends... well we are, but I'm not as close to her like Percy is. But still I want to help her."

"Then tell me the truth," Dante said dryly. "Why is it that you really want to come?"

Nico gave him a long look. "Like I said; I just want to help Thalia."

Dante gave him an incredulous laugh. "Sorry Nico, but that's not a good enough reason for me to trust you. So, if you excuse me, I'm in a hurry. But thanks for the offer anyways."

Nico's mouth parted as if he intended a retort, but it was too late. Dante had already started walking back to the cabin area. "I was asked to help you!" Dante heard Nico yell after him.

He whirled to face the son of Hades, then he asked,"Really? And who if I may ask did that?"

"It was my sister." Then with a little more edge to his voice, Nico added, "She was a hunter once, but she died in a quest trying to save your mother. But even after that she still cares for Artemis and her hunters. So she asked me as a favor to help you save Thalia."

"Your sister, who is already dead, asked you to help me. Yeah, sure why not?"

They shared a moment of silence. Dante used that time to study Nico's face trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth or not. If he was lying, he was one very convincing actor. Nico really seemed to want to help, but Dante's instincts were tingling. He felt Nico wasn't telling him the whole truth, but Dante didn't had the time to followed the trail of that instinct, not with the clock of Thalia's life ticking. So he decided to make his decision out of fate and hope he wouldn't come to regret it later.

"OK then you can come." Dante told the son of Hades.

Nico's eyebrows went up, "You are letting me come with you? Just like that you believe me?"

"Sure I believe you, but let me ask you anyway. Is there another reason why you want to help us?"

Nico narrowed his eyes at him. "No that's the only one."

"OK then," Dante said. "I'll go and get the others now. Meet us in the big house later, OK." Then he turned and began walking toward the cabins in search for certain daughter of Ares.

(/)

After leaving Nico behind, Dante was searching for Clarisse and at the same time he was also trying to figure out how was he going to tell Cassidy that another boy was joining their quest. He was forced to stop both of those things when he heard a girl's voice calling him.

"Dante! Wait!"

He stopped, then turned to face the person calling him. Abby was sprinting toward him, stopping short as he turned.

"I need to talk to you." she said.

When Dante only frowned in confusion, Abby latched onto him by the wrist and led him into the space between two cabins. The strength of her grip surprised Dante who gingerly reclaimed his hand and shook it a little.

"You're stronger than you look, you know." Dante said.

Sheepishly, Abby said, "Sorry, but this is important."

"What is?"

She stood there in silence for a second then she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're going to save Thalia right?"

"Yeah."

"I wanna go with you."

"You too?" Dante said, suddenly suspicious. "Why? I mean you've been avoiding me for the last few days, and now you want to come on a quest with me just like that. So, I have to ask, why?"

"Look I apologized about the way I've been acting lately," she said. "I just didn't take kindly the news that you were the son of Artemis. You know I'm not a big fan of hers and the hunters."

"Really I hadn't noticed that," Dante said sarcastically. "But still if you don't like the hunters why would you want to risk your life for one of them"

She was silent for a few seconds. "The thing is," she said, looking surprisingly uncomfortable, "that it was sort of my fault that Thalia got captured."

Dante frowned. "What do you mean your fault?"

They stared at each other for a moment in silence.

Then Abby finally spoke, "I was the...Umm... during the battle I was corner by some of the monsters. I would have probably been killed if it wasn't for Thalia showing up to helping me. But that's when the giants appeared and got her. So you see, if Thalia hadn't saved me she wouldn't be in this situation."

Dante could discern the drift. "You feel as if you owe Thalia something."

"Yes and I just can't go on knowing that I'm in debt with a hunter. So are you going to let me come or not?"

Once again Dante was getting the feeling that, like Nico, Abby wasn't telling him the whole story. He also knew that, after hearing Rachel's prophecy, Abby's sudden capitulation should be cause for significant concern. But he mostly felt relief. Dante wanted Abby to come with them. He wanted the opportunity to try to fix things and become friends once more.

"Well I was thinking of asking Clarisse to come, but I think you have a much more important reason to do so," Dante said smiling at her. "Yes Abby. You can come, I would actually like that."

Abby's eyes brightened. "Thank you Dante I appreciate it. So who else is going?"

"Other than you and me, Cassidy of course and Nico di Angelo."

Abby raised an eyebrow, "Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades. You're aware that like me he doesn't like Artemis or the hunters either."

"Yeah I know," Dante blew out air while he ran a hand through his hair, then he shook his head. "Man! Cassidy is gonna be thrilled when she finds out. Well I better go break the news to her now. Abby once you're ready meet us at the big house,OK."

Abby nodded at him then she started heading back to her cabin. Dante waited for her to disappear around the corner before going back to his own where he knew Cassidy was expecting him . He wasn't particularly looking forward to explaining his decision to her, but unfortunately that was something that couldn't be avoided.

(/)

Pacing, Cassidy asked, "Why in Hades would you do such a thing without first consulting me?"

Dante shook his head, "Its not that big of a deal, is it? We need companions, and they both volunteered."

The hunter Cindy offered, "It should be us going with you to save Thalia, not campers. You should have come and talked to us first before you decided anything."

Dante turned to her."The prophecy said campers and hunters. We got the hunter part cover, we need campers. So I got some, problem solved."

"But why them?" Cassidy growled. "Out of all the campers you could have chosen from you pick the two that hate Lady Artemis the most. You think that's a smart choice? Not to mention one of them happens to be a boy."

And there it was, the real reason Dante was sure Cassidy was really mad about. The fact that he had invited another boy to come along with them. That was the her real problem.

Cassidy prowled restlessly, while the rest of the hunters sat on their beds here and there in the room. They all were looking at Dante disapprovingly as he had just committed the biggest crime in the world.

"So Nico is a boy, so what?" Dante said. "I'm a boy too, so do you have a problem with me coming as well?"

Cassidy shot him a look, "Its not the same. We think of you as just another hunter, not a boy."

Dante felt insulted by that, but it wasn't the best time to get into that argument, so he led it go. "Look I get why you don't want Nico to come, but I'm sorry, its my decision. So he comes and Abby too, and if you have a problem with..." Dante was forced to stop in the middle of his sentence as he noticed the ugly frown etched on Cassidy's facial features.

The angry look that she was giving him reminded Dante of the way his mother Galetri would look at him whenever she was mad. For a moment Dante, wondered if that particular expression was something all hunters were required to learn.

"Um... look we don't have time to keep arguing about this," he said in a semi-low voice. "Just deal with it, OK."

"I just can't trust them." Cassidy said.

"Would it be asking too much," Dante said. "that you just trust me instead?"

Cassidy didn't say anything. Her eyes remained on him, but they were both well aware of the rest of the hunters staring at them. After what it seemed to be a long moment of consideration, she said, "Fine! I guess I can do that, but if those two try anything at all I won't hesitate to cut them down. Especially that boy, is that clear?"

"Yeah! Got it," Dante said, heaving a sigh. "Now let's finish getting ready, so we can leave."

Dante moved toward his bed to collect his belongings and prepare what he needed to take with him. As he approached his bunk, he noticed the rectangular box on top of it. "What is this?" he asked, examining the package.

"Its for you," said Gemma behind him. "A gift from Lady Artemis; it was delivered right before you got here."

Dante opened the box and found three items inside of it: a long bow, a set of knives, and a silver necklace. He picked up the bow first and took a really close look at it. The silver bow was a replica of the one he had seen Artemis carry with her the first time she had appeared.

He guessed that somehow Artemis must know what was going on and was trying to help. As he kept looking at the bow, it suddenly glowed for a second then vanished from his hand leaving Dante very confused.

"What happened to it?"

"Nothing, its just like ours. They disappear when we don't need them and appear when we do." Gemma explained to him.

"Oh! I see! Well that's convenient." Dante said impressed. He grabbed the knives next and started testing them out. The knives were similar to the one that his mother Galetri had given him, which sadly it was now broken, but the blade was twice as long and thicker. The knives felt good in his hands as if they had been made specially for him.

Once he had strapped the knives to his belt he grabbed the necklace. The chain was made out of silver and had a small medal with the symbol of Artemis on it. Not being one who wears stuff like that Dante put the necklace in his bag, and simply left it there.

Having spent enough time on the gifts he quickly grabbed everything he need for the trip. Thirty minutes later both Cassidy and him said their goodbyes to the hunters and headed back to the big house.

(/)

Chiron hadn't been very pleased with Dante for choosing more than two people to go with him, but in the end he finally had given in.

"Well it seems you are ready to go," Chiron said looking at the four teenagers standing on top of half blood hill ready to depart. "Argos will take you to New York so that you can talk to Zeus, after that you guys would be own your own. I wish you the best of luck on this quest."

"Thanks Chiron. And don't worry we'll bring Thalia back." Dante said reassuringly. "Well we better get going, see ya."

Dante was about to start heading down the hill, but he froze when he heard Chiron calling him back. He turned to others and said, "Go on ahead I'll catch up in a moment."

Nico, Abby, and Cassidy nodded at him then all three of them went down the hill to the van where Argos was waiting. Once they were out of ear shot Dante turned to Chiron.

"Whats the matter Chiron? Did I forget something?"

"No, its just that... Dante are you sure about this? I mean about taking Nico and Abby with you. Remember what the prophecy said."

"You're thinking that one of them could be the one to betray us?" Dante asked.

"Well no, " Chiron said, looking a bit ashamed. "Its just that neither of them have a good history with Artemis and I can tell Cassidy is not happy at all with them either. So I'm just concerned that you guys won't be able to work together to accomplish this quest. And that could be a big problem, you know."

"Yeah I know, but we'll find a way to make it work, you'll see." Dante said trying his best to sound optimistic. "Besides, I feel as if Nico and Abby are supposed to come with me on this. That's just the way I feel and my mom always said that a good hunter always trusts his feelings and instincts."

"I see, very well then. We'll be waiting for all of you to come back to camp safe. Good luck." said Chiron.

After exchanging one last farewell, with Chiron, Dante when down the hill to join the others finally ready to start his quest.

_**To Be Continued...**_

[A/N] What do you guys think of this chapter? I been very busy lately and I had almost no time to write anymore so I kind of rush with this one. So please let me know what you guys think of it. Well that's it for now seeya.


	19. Chapter 19

**Rewritten: All correction were made by Hidden Firecracker.**

Here is the next chapter enjoy. I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it

**Secret's of the Moon**

**Chapter 19**.

Argos sat in the driver seat of the transport, idling the engine. Nico, Abby, and Cassidy all waited outside the van for Dante to finish talking to Chiron. As they waited, Abby decided it was a good time to set a few things straight. She turned to Cassidy, "Look I don't imagine we're going to be able to be friends right away. Not with our history. But for the sake of this quest, I'm willing to try...if you are."

Cassidy quickly showed her a palm. "Save it. I'm naturally suspicious, and I'm not about to pretend to be something I'm not. So I have to confess that I don't trust any of you. I don't buy your stories about why you want to help Thalia. The only reason why I'm going along with this is because Dante asked me too. He trusts you and that's all I need to know."

Abby gave her a frosty look. "I see. Fine have it your way. Frankly, this works out better, because I didn't want to have to pretend either."

Nico who had remained quiet let out an exasperated breath. "Man, this is gonna be fun."

Cassidy turned to him, "What was that? You have something to say too, _boy_?

"No I'm good," Nico shrugged. "And the name is Nico, by the way, not _boy_."

"Whatever." Cassidy said.

A couple minutes later Dante came down the hill and joined them. "So, ready to go?" He looked from Cassidy to Abby and back again. "Umm... is everything OK here?" Dante turned to Nico, whose shrug and expression said, _I have no idea-you don't wanna know! _

"Yeah everything is just fine," Cassidy said with a tiny edge in her voice. She opened the side door then turned to Nico and Abby, pointing with her finger into the back seat. Abby raised her chin and made a point of climbing in with no hesitation.

"I'll have to call out shotgun, next time," she said.

"Not unless you want an arrow through your head, too." Cassidy responded under her breath, though clearly intending Abby to hear. After Nico got in, Cassidy shut the door, then she got into the front seat next to Argos. As Dante climbed in next to her, he whispered in her ear, "Play nice." Cassidy shot him a look, but said nothing in return.

"OK Argos let's go." Dante said to their multi-eye driver, "Destination: New York." A few seconds later, they were finally on their way to see the king of the gods.

(/)

Dante had been to New York a few times in his life, but he had never been near the Empire State Building before. His mother Galetri always made sure that their hotel was as far away as possible from it. Finally, he got to know why- it was because Olympus was there.

Argos parked the transport in a street near the Empire State Building then after saying good bye the group of heroes walked to the entrance. Dante stood on the sidewalk staring high up at the vertical length of the skyscraper. "You can't see Olympus from down here, you know." He heard Abby say behind him.

He turned to her, "What? Oh no...its just that I still can't believe that Olympus is really up there. You know floating above Manhattan without anybody noticing. Its just, incredible."

Abby put her hand on his shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze."Don't worry, you'll get used to this type of thing with time." Dante just smiled back at her.

"So are we going in or what?" Cassidy interrupted. She looked from Dante to Abby, then shook her head and walked toward the entryway of the building. _What was up with her?_ Dante thought. As Abby and he started forward, Nico hung back letting a little bit of distance between them.

They walked into the lobby and went straight for the guard at the front desk. "We need to go up to the six hundredth floor, please." Cassidy told him.

From behind a book he was reading the guard gave Cassidy a quick glance then went back to his reading. "No one goes up there without a prior appointment."

Cassidy and Dante exchanged looks. Moving closer to the desk, Dante said, "Sir, we must talk with Lord Zeus. Its an emergency."

Flipping the page of his book, the guard responded. "Its always an emergency with you demigods. Still rules are rules."

"But this is important." Dante argued.

The guard gave an elaborate shrug. "If it's important then you should have no problem getting an appointment then. So why don't you go do that, then come back." At last Dante's patience was reaching its limits. They didn't have time for this. He was about to say something to the guard when Abby stopped him.

With a tiny smirk, she looked at him and said, "Come on Dante, its no use, let's go. We're just gonna have to tell Lord Zeus that it was this guy's fault that no one told him about his daughter being kidnapped." Dante looked at her, and Abby winked then glanced toward the door. He nodded getting her drift.

Turning to Cassidy and Nico, Dante said, "Well guys we tried, let's go." They hadn't taken one step when the guard said.

"Wait a second, this is not my fault. I'm just doing my job."

Abby gave him a matter-of-fact shrug. "Yeah we know. But good luck explaining that to Zeus. After all, we all know how understanding he can be."

The guard's attempt to present a nonchalant attitude was belied by the trickle of sweat running down his temple. He fidgeted restlessly through the desk, then took out a card key and tossed it to Abby.

"Thank you," Abby said, snatching the card from the air, giving the guard her best smile.

"I'm not responsible for anything that happens to you up there," the guard said, before settling in his chair and going back to his reading.

They walked to the elevators. Dante got in with Abby and Cassidy, but Nico stood behind. Dante stared at him for a minute, then he asked. "You're not coming?"

"No," Nico replied. "Zeus doesn't like it when the children of his brothers cross into his territory without permission. So, I'll wait for you guys down here just to be safe."

"I see, OK then we'll be back soon. See you in a bit." Dante said. The doors closed then Abby slipped the card key into the slot and pressed the button. Immediately the elevator began acceding to the six hundredth floor.

"That was really quick thinking back there," Dante said to Abby. "Good job."

She gave him a sideways, amused, look. "Oh come on it was nothing. No big deal."

Dante smiled. "No I mean it. I doubt we would have convinced him otherwise to let us come up here. That was a really good idea."

"Oh please! Stop making such a big fuss about it," Cassidy said rolling her eyes. "It wasn't that impressive. Uuuh...you tricked the guard, as if no one has ever done that before."

Abby gave her a look. "What? Jealous 'cause you didn't think of it first."

"Ha! You think I'll get jealous over something like that." Cassidy said.

"Of course not. I think you're getting jealous about something else." Abby said giving Dante another one of her sideways look.

Cassidy glowered at her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Abby gave her a sarcastically beaming look. "Oh please, as if you don't know what I mean."

Dante stepped between them, hands raised and palms out, calling a halt to the floor show. "Ok that's enough girls," he said. "We must work together if we want to save Thalia. So let's just put our differences aside for the time being, OK?"

The two girls glared at each other with their arms crossed. Then without a word, they both faced forward and said nothing for what was left of ride.

Dante could not have been more happy to hear the, _ding_, announcing their arrival at Olympus. Being stuck in an elevator with two angry girls had been so uncomfortable that he couldn't wait to get out. As soon as the doors opened he walked through them, and was a surprise by what he saw.

(/)

Olympus was a lot more spectacular than he had expected it to be. It was an entire city filled with magnificent marble temples and countless gardens. There where areas under construction, but it didn't take away any beauty from it. Cassidy led them through the streets. She appeared to know the area like the back of her hand.

As they walked, minor gods and nymphs would turn to stare at them and whisper. Three words were constantly repeated: _Son_ _of_ _Artemis_. The way they stared at him made Dante feel uncomfortable and he wondered if coming to Olympus had been such a bright idea after all.

"Its hard to believe that its only been a year since the Titan war, huh?" Abby said yanking Dante away from his thoughts. When he turned to look at her, she went on, "All of this was in ruins last year and now its all back to normal again."

"Really, wow," said Dante. "You know I would like to hear more about last year's war. Maybe you can tell me more about it later."

For a second Abby's eyes looked pained."Yeah sure later," she said, moving ahead and followed Cassidy even closer down the street.

They walk farther and farther up the mountain until at last they reached the parthenon. "OK we're here," Cassidy said, looking at them. "Remember we trespassed into Olympus without permission, so right now we're kind of in a slippery slope. So watch what you say and be very respectful. That way perhaps we'll be able to get down from here alive."

They walked through the doors and into the throne room. There were twelve thrones in the room, but only one of them was occupied at the time. To one side of the biggest throne, which Dante assumed was Zeus's, a silver haired woman sat with a bored expression on her face.

As the woman noticed them her eyes suddenly lit up, and a smile spread across her face. Dante stopped short, nearly overcome as a wave of anxiety swept him.

"You okay?" Abby whispered.

"I'm fine," he said. But Dante wasn't fine. The animal in him felt the presence of an enemy. The feeling was incredibly strong.

Cassidy led them straight toward the center of the room right in front of the woman. "Stay behind me for a moment," Cassidy said. She moved ahead of Dante and Abby then bowed respectfully to the woman. "Oh great Hera, we're honored to be in your presence, and beg your forgiveness for intruding upon you like this. My Lady we are here to request an audience with Lord Zeus. Its urgent that we speak to him."

_She's_ _Hera_, Dante though. His adrenaline surged as he remembered Artemis warning him about her. The goddess looked at Dante, and he felt his skin crawl as she smiled.

"My dear husband is currently indisposed. He's not talking or seeing anyone at the moment," Hera said. "But I don't mind listening to what you have to say. So go ahead and speak."

Abby put her hands on Dante's shoulder and gently pushed him toward Cassidy and the goddess. "C'mon this was your idea- go and talk to her."

Dante's panic spiraled; he couldn't even concentrate on what Abby was saying to him, nor could he think of anything to say. Cassidy looked about as uneasy as he felt, undoubtedly beginning to sense his internal struggle.

_Get over it, Dante, Just get over it_, he said to himself remembering that Thalia was counting on him. Dante had promised the hunters that he would return to camp with Thalia, and he'd do it. He wasn't going to let either Cassidy or Abby see that he wasn't up to the task, especially because of such as silly thing as just talking to a goddess.

Finally, collecting himself Dante looked at Hera square in the face, then he went on to explain the situation to her. When he finished the goddess remained quiet for a minute. "I see," she sighed, shaking her head. "Obviously you believe we could put up that ransom."

Dante nodded slowly. "It would be a big help. It will probably be the thing that saves Thalia's life, and I promise my first priority after recovering Thalia will be getting every single drachma back for you."

"I have no doubt you could return the ransom," Hera said. "I only _wish_ we could provide it."

Dante's face was completely blank. "But why can't you?"

The goddess shrugged, an elegant undulation of her shoulders. "For the simple reason that right now, Olympus is undergoing a very expensive remodeling." She gestured to the lavish surroundings, "None of this is cheap you know. So you see, we currently can't afford to do any unnecessary expenses. Especially not for small things like this."

Dante stepped forward, his fear long forgotten, "Unnecessary! Small thing! Surely you know that Thalia is one of Zeus's daughters...and this is a family matter- an urgent, life or death..."

"Please, your indignation is misplaced young one, I'm simply telling you the truth. Also, you should try to keep in mind the tone of your voice. I would have every right to destroy you right where you are by the mere fact that you dare to come here without permission."

Dante did not back down. "Why won't you help? Why don't you let us speak with Zeus?"

"I already told you, Zeus is not speaking to anyone right now. In any case, I'm sure he would not be pleased to see you here. Recently he has been having certain thoughts about you demigods, and their not very good. Believe me if I didn't destroy you for coming here. He most certainly would have. So consider yourself lucky."

"But Thalia...?" Dante said.

"That girl has been nothing but trouble to our family since she was born." Hera said, then she narrowed her eyes at Dante, "But that's what all unwanted children do, always disrupting the peace and harmony in the family. I personally think its better for the family if you all are simply gone, but no one else seems able to see that. Anyway, if Thalia got herself in this mess she should be able to get out of it herself."

"So you're not gonna help, huh?" Dante said.

Hera's smile grew tight. "The best you can do is just forget about Thalia and start to worry about yourself instead. Have you forgotten that, in a couple of weeks, you'll be summoned back here so that we can _destroy_... I mean vote on whether or not we're going to let you live. So just go back to the camp and enjoy your days there. They could be your last."

Before Dante could think of anything to say, two armed guards came into the hall. Both were broad shouldered, muscular paramilitary types. They had close-cropped hair, one blond, one brown, and wore Greek armor . Dante couldn't tell whether they were minor gods or demigods, but there was definitely something different about them.

"Good you're here," Hera told them. "I think this demigods' visit is at an end. Go ahead and escort them out of Olympus."

Dante said nothing- he just looked hard at her, but all he inspired in Hera was another smile. She had displayed perhaps a dozen variations, all of which Dante was learning to despise. "Good bye now. See you in a few weeks Dante, or maybe not." Hera said.

The two goons followed them all the way down to the elevator. Before Dante got in with Abby and Cassidy, he turned to the guards. "Where is Lord Zeus at?"

There was no reaction from the guards.

"Why is he not talking to anyone?"

Again no response. They just looked at him as if they were contemplating an attack, or least it felt that way.

"What, you two just don't speak unless Hera tells you to? Man that's lame."

Contradicting him, the blond one said, "Just get the hell out of here."

"Before we send you back down the hard way," the brown hair said.

"Oh yeah! I'm so scared." Dante said as the doors began to close.

"Next time we meet we'll show you something to be scared about," the blond one said before the doors close entirely.

As the elevator went down Abby spoke, "Queen Hera is always so charming. I almost have to bite my tongue to keep from saying something that I'm pretty sure would have gotten us blasted to oblivion back there."

"Yeah me too," said Cassidy with a nod. "Now you know why Lady Artemis always does her best to avoid her as much as possible. Well anyway Dante what now?"

Dante's spirit was low, as he thought of how to best approach the situation now. He actually had expected for the gods to help with this problem, but Hera had thrown that option out the window without a second thought. He shook his head getting angry all over again. He forced the emotions down as he finally made a decision.

"Dante?" Abby said.

"We have no choice but to go to plan B." he said.

"And that would be what exactly?" Cassidy asked.

"I'm still working on the details, but the basic idea is finding the giants that kidnapped Thalia and killing every single one of them." Dante explain to them.

"Well I'm all for that." Abby responded.

"Same here," Cassidy said as well.

It wasn't going to be easy, but Dante had made up his mind. This was what demigods were trained for, to be warriors, and he will be a warrior. He would fight to save Thalia and if anyone had hurt or killed her, that person would be beyond any help... because he would bring hell down on the killer.

**To be Continued...**

[A/N] Well there it is I hope you'll like it. Well don't forget to let me know what you think of it. I'm actually hoping to get my very first 100 reviews with this chapter. So please review.

Well that's it for now. See ya next time.


	20. Chapter 20

**Beta by Hidden Firecracker.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secrets ****of the Moon**

**Chapter 20**

Nico was waiting when Dante and the girls came out of the elevator. "Hey," he said. Then he tilted his head and frowned. "So how did it go? Did you get the Drachmas?"

Dante did his best to crack a smile, "Nope, no such luck."

Nico arched an eyebrow, "WOW... the gods aren't gonna help. There's a shocker. What are we going to do now?" Dante shared what he'd discussed with Cassidy and Abby in the elevator. Then Nico said, "Its sounds like a plan. Still, Seattle is a big city. How are we going to find them?"

"We won't have to find them," Dante said. "We know where the drop is... all we need to do is get there first."

Completing Dante's thread, Cassidy said, "And set up a trap for when the giants show up."

Nodding, Dante said, "Will have to be there before the moon rises on the day of the drop. And when the giants appear we strike at them before they even get a chance to set up."

Nico nodded. "Yeah I think that could work."

"Yes it sounds good and all," Abby pitched in, "But we still have to get to Seattle in about two days. How are we gonna do that?"

"That... I don't know yet," Dante said. He hadn't given much thought to that problem until now. _How were they gonna get there indeed?_

Nico said, "Well I do." They all looked at him.

"Leave it to me," Nico said.

(/)

Dante and the others followed Nico to an alleyway between two buildings. They were just a couple of streets down from the Empire State Building, but this alley looked like a combination of a war zone and garbage dump. Barbed wire laced the ground, which was thickly covered with loose thrash: beer cans, used sanitary papers, decaying food. Flies buzzed through the air and Cassidy swatted at them.

"Is it really necessary to come to a place like this?" she snapped at Nico. He glanced at her, but kept walking.

"Not really, but this is the only place where nobody will see us," Nico said. "Don't worry we'll be out of here in a minute."

"I'm not worried," Cassidy muttered. "I just want to kill you."

"Oh suck it up your highness, its just an alley," Abby said.

Less than a minute later, Nico finally did stop- right in front of a large rusty dumpster. Dante stood beside him. "And what do we need a dumpster for?" he asked Nico.

"We don't need the dumpster, only its shadow." Nico responded walking towards the dumpster and placing a hand on the wall where the dumpster's shadow has been cast. It rippled for a second then the shadow expanded all over the wall.

"Are you sure about this?" Dante said taking a step away from the wall.

"Don't worry its completely safe. All you have to do is think about the place you want to go to, in this case Seattle, and just walk through the shadow. Simple as that. "

"OK, if you say so," Dante said not very convinced. He looked at Abby and Cassidy. They both seemed to be having their doubts too. "Here goes nothing," he muttered. Then together with the girls he walked into the blackness.

Dante did not think they would be able to go through the wall, but as he walked he felt nothing- just the whisper of cool air, and the sense of something large and immense hiding beyond the edge of the shadows, ready to swallow them up.

And then it did.

(/)

When he opened his eyes, it took Dante a moment to realize that he was not dead, just stuck within a darkness so absolute, not even his night vision worked. He could not see his hands, but he pressed them to his face to give himself some sense of presence. Some evidence that his body still existed. He patted his eyes; they really were open.

A moment later, his shoes hit a new turf, and the unexpected change threw him completely off his feet. Legs and arms flailing, he sprawled head first into the ground. After the impact, he felt dizzy so he didn't try to get up. A long twenty seconds ticked by. With his eyes still closed, Dante's quieted senses detected the total and complete change of atmosphere from where he'd just been.

The acrid tar smell of hot pavement mingled with the organic freshness of... _grass_ and _flowers_? A car honked in the distance, and he heard the sound of a couple of kids laughing and kicking a metal can. Dante opened his eyes, and got back on his feet, then he stumbled over two bodies on the ground. When he regained his balance seconds later, he realized they were Cassidy and Abby.

Slowly, Cassidy unfurled her body and sat up, then staggered to her feet and ran shaking hands down her body. "Never again," she said. "I'm not doing that ever again."

Next to her, Abby was also getting back on her feet. "That...was so _weird_." Looking around she added, "Where are we? Nico did send us to the right place, didn't he?"

"I'm not sure." Dante said, seeing that they were on the edge of a sidewalk in a patch of ungroomed city grass.

"Of course I did," Dante heard someone say. He and the girls turned and found Nico standing behind them. For some reason he was looking more pale than usual, as if he were only seconds away from passing out. Nico took a deep breath then he gave them a smile and said, "Welcome to Seattle! Thank you for choosing S_hadow_ T_ravels_."

"Ha! Ha! Very funny," Cassidy growled, "You almost shoved us in the middle of a street. What if a car was passing by? You could have killed us."

"That wasn't my fault," Nico said, very calm. "When you shadow travel you have to be very specific about the place you want to go to. None of us has ever been to Seattle before, right? So we had to used the whole city as the reference point. Just be grateful we didn't appear on the edge of a rooftop or something."

Cassidy looked sharply at him. "Grateful. I'll show you grateful..."

"OK that's enough," Dante interrupted. "What matters is that we're here now." Dante took a moment to give his surroundings a second look. In front of him in the distance he could see the Colombian Center, in the opposite direction, he could distinguish the shape of the Space Needle. There was no doubt they were in Seattle, and Thalia was somewhere in Seattle, too.

"So, where to now?" Abby asked. "Do we go looking for this Troll statue?"

"No," Dante said, looking up into the sky. "Its gonna get dark soon, its best if we find a place to crash for the night. Tomorrow will look for the Fremont Troll first thing in the morning, and we'll start coming up with strategies to ambush the giants as well."

They all agreed to that and began walking through the city looking for a place to spend the night. They found a motel and rented two rooms. When they were at the doors of their rooms, Dante and Nico waited for the girls to go in theirs first, then they walked inside their own.

"Are you sure its OK to leave those two alone?" Nico asked. "Most likely they're gonna kill each other."

"Let's hope not," Dante replied. "Are you taking a shower? I know I am... then I'm gonna go ahead and rest. This has been a very long day."

"Yeah I'm kind of tired too." said Nico. "Shadow traveling with you guys really drain my energy. I'm beat."

Nico allowed him to take the bathroom first. Dante showered and emerged in twenty minutes. He stood in the open bathroom doorway and found himself alone. He put on some clean clothes and was about to go outside to look for Nico, when he stepped back into the room. Nico explained that he'd just ran across the street to a convenience store, where he bought a few snacks for them and the girls to eat.

Dante thought that had been an excellent idea since he was starving. They both ate the snacks and watched some TV before finally deciding it was time to go to sleep.

Dante did manage to drift off to sleep, but a man he had never seen before invaded his dreams. He had a white shirt, black hair, and eyes of the palest green- as the dreams became more and more nightmarish-the man's features began to change. He still was wearing a white shirt, he still had luxurious black hair, but he was no longer a man. His smile was a grotesque snarl; his eyes a fiery red.

Dante ended it by waking up from his sleep. It took him a moment to get oriented. _Right_. He was in a Seattle motel, with Nico sound asleep in the other bed. He cautiously got out of the bed and approached the window. He stood to one side of the window as he slowly drew open the blinds. Shards of silver light invaded the room as Dante peered out of the window.

Outside the room, the moon shone bright in the night sky and he stared at it for a few minutes. He wondered if perhaps Artemis was looking at him from somewhere. Then he reminded it himself that he didn't care about that; he didn't care about her.

He was about to close the blinds again when he noticed someone was outside. The motel where they were staying had a pool, and from his window a person sat on one of the edges. It was Cassidy. Dante watched her silently for a moment then he decided to go out and talk to her.

Cassidy was sitting on the edge of the pool, with her feet in the water, and her head bowed as in prayer.

"Yes I'll make sure to do that." Dante heard her say as he approached her.

"Do what? Who are you talking to?" Dante asked.

Cassidy eyes shot up to him, she looked quite startled." What? Umm...no one I'm... What are you doing awake? I thought you'd be sleeping by now."

"Can't sleep," Dante said, sitting next to her. "I saw you out here, so I came to see. What was going on?"

Shrugging, Cassidy said, "Nothing is going on, I just couldn't sleep either. So I came out here to get some fresh air."

"And now you are thinking on going for a midnight swim or something?"

"No," Cassidy said with a smirk, "I don't like swimming in pools." Then, passing a hand through her yellow hair, she added, "The chlorine always makes my hair turn green. Its a hassle to fix it."

For the first time, Dante noticed something he hadn't before, Cassidy's ears were a bit pointy. "Cassidy are you a nymph?" he asked, not able to keep the awed tone out of his voice.

Cassidy nodded, "Yeah. Before I became a hunter, I was a Crinaeae. A fountain nymph."

Dante blinked, "There's such thing as fountain nymphs?"

"Of course there is," she said her expression full of indignation. "Everyone always thinks that there are only trees and water nymphs. But actually there are lots of different types of them. For example, there are air nymphs, mountain nymphs, snow nymphs, _fountains_ _nymphs_, even underworld nymphs, but you don't want to meet them. They tend to be pretty mean."

"OK that's...good to know. So what made you wanna become a hunter?"

"I wanted to be free and be able to see the world. There's not much you can do or see when you're a fountain. So I pledged myself to Lady Artemis, and she freed me from the binds that chained me to my fountain. Now, not only am I free, but I get to serve my lady and have a wonderful group of sisters that I can spend eternity with. Its a lot better than being alone all the time."

"Huh, I see I guess its all good as long as you're happy." Dante said.

Both stayed quite for a few moments after that, just looking at the water in the pool. Then Dante had to ask, "So are you going to tell me the real reason why you're out here?"

Cassidy turned her gaze to the side, not meeting his eyes. "OK if you want to know. I just couldn't stand being in the same room as her any longer."

Dante sighed. "Can't you girls just try to get along for a bit. I mean seriously what's the deal between you two. You know Chiron told me Abby has some type of history with Artemis, but he didn't tell me what it was. So what happened? You girls tried to recruit her, and she turned you down? Is that what this is about?"

Defensive, Cassidy blurted, "No its not that. She really hasn't told you yet? I was certain she had already."

"Tell me what?"

Cassidy studied Dante for a good thirty seconds- it seemed she was trying to decide whether or not to tell him- Dante let the blonde make up her own mind.

Finally, Cassidy spoke, "Abby hates Lady Artemis for the same reason Nico diAngelo does. Abby's sister, Elizabeth,was a hunter."

Stunned by Cassidy's revelation, Dante sat quietly considering her words. "Her sister, the one who died, was a hunter. Then why...?"

"Elizabeth joined us last year at the end of the Titan War," Cassidy said. "But a few months ago she died during a hunt. I don't think I have to tell you how Abby took the news. She hates Lady Artemis for not being able to save Elizabeth, and she hates me because I'm the one that convinced Elizabeth of join the hunt in the first place."

Dante put a hand over his face and massaged his forehead, "Oh man! That explains a lot."

Cassidy rose and her eyes locked with his, "Dante look, I know Abby is your friend and you trust her, but you have to be careful with her. I don't know why Abby wanted to come with us on this quest, but I'm sure it wasn't to help Thalia or you. So be on your guard, OK."

Dante said nothing.

Cassidy's eyes went to the sky then back to Dante. "I think we should get back to our rooms and try to get some sleep." Cassidy said. Then she began walking back to the rooms.

Dante sighted, then he got up and followed her, still thinking about what he just had learned. He didn't know how he supposed to act or feel about it, but what he did know was that now other than bad dreams, he had another reason that was gonna keep him awake for the rest of the night.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well there it is I hope you guys like it. Yeah, I finally got my very first 100 reviews and more, thanks a lot I appreciate. Well that's it for now don't for get to let me know what you think of this chapter OK. Well until next time. Seeya.


	21. Chapter 21

**Beta by Hidden Firecracker.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secrets of the Moon**

**Chapter 21**

The next morning Dante finally got to meet the Fremont Troll.

Under the north end of the Aurora Avenue Bridge, the reclining stone troll rose eighteen feet, its head almost bumping on the underside of the bridge. The troll looked just as Rachel had described him: long hair, one shiny metal eye, and crawling on its belly. His right hand spread on the ground, and its left fist was griping a small car.

Dante climbed up behind the troll peeking out from the darkness under the bridge. "This is a good spot for someone to hide and shoot arrows at the giants. Since Cassidy is an expert shooter, I think she's the best option for this. What do you think Abby?"

For more than an hour, since they arrived at the troll, Abby and Dante had been trying to come up with contingencies to set up traps for the giants under the bridge. The idea was to try and turn the disadvantage of being surrounded into an advantage, and turn a defensive position into an offensive one.

"Yeah I guess she can be good for that, at least," Abby said. "Also, I just thought of something. During the night, this whole area will be in the dark, right? So Nico would be able to hide in the shadows and take out some of the giants from within."

Dante climbed off the troll, "That's a good idea- or if things start going south for us, Nico can shadow travel us out of here. We should keep that one in mind as a possible escape plan."

Abby gave him a nod then she said, "But there's something I can't understand. Why would the giants choose this place for the whole ransom/exchange thing? I mean, what's so special about this location?"

"Well as far as places to set up a trap goes, this one is real appropriate for it," Dante said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well think about it, behind us is a wall with the statue of a troll in it, no escape through there. In front, we have the canal, which at night the water must be freezing so no escape through there either. The only exits are through the sides which can easily be blocked making this place one solid steel cage for us. No doubt that even if we had paid the ransom the giants weren't gonna let us go. Not that I thought they would."

Abby seemed surprised by his explanation, "When did you figured all this out?" she asked.

"Right after Nico dropped us off here," he answered with a small self-satisfied smile.

"It figures, you being the son of Artemis, a hunter, must be easy for you to set up traps and figure them out as well," she said.

Dante turned to her the smirk gone, "Abby... Cassidy told me about what happened to your sister, Elizabeth."

Abby tensed. "Did she now?...What else did she tell you?"

"Only that your sister was a hunter too and that she died only a few months ago. Abby, how come you didn't tell me before?"

"Tell you? Why should I have told you anything? This is none of your business."

"Umm... maybe it is. Considering that I think that was the reason you stopped talking to me when you found out who I was. Look I just..."

"Stop it, OK. Just stop," she practically spat. "I don't want to talk about it. We're here to try to save your hunter friend so let's just focus on that OK?" She strode past him toward the other side of the bridge.

"I think we'll have a better chance of beating the giants if we attack them before they make it all the way here," she suggested. "But for that we would have to know from which direction they'll be coming from."

She was trying to avoid the topic, but Dante couldn't let her. Too much was at stake. "I just want to know if everything is OK between us," he pressed. "You know are we still friends?"

She glanced at him and didn't answer.

"Can I still count on you for this, Abby?"

Abby's eyes tightened, and her mouth did too. "Are you saying you don't trust me anymore? Because of Cassidy?"

"It has nothing to do with her. I only need to be sure that you-"

"Dante look," she said, her voice reasonable but with an edge. "I told you I was gonna help you save Thalia didn't I, and I'm gonna do that. So that I can repay my debt to her and also... because that's what Elizabeth would want me to do."

Dante nodded slightly, "OK then, that's all I need it to hear. C'mon lets continue with what we were doing...And Nico if you're done eavesdropping you can help us too." Dante said turning his face toward where he knew Nico was hidden in the shadows.

Melting out of the darkness, the son of Hades didn't seem surprised that Dante's heightened senses would have betrayed his position, and he said softly, "Sorry-didn't mean to."

"How long have you been there?" Abby asked.

Nico shook his head, "Not long, just got here."

"Where's Cassidy?" Dante asked him next. "Wasn't she with you?" Early that morning, prior to Dante and Abby coming to the Fremont Troll, Cassidy had told them that she had an idea on how to get information on the Lastrygonians. For that reason, she had wanted to go to a place called _Gas_ _Work_ _Park_. That's where she and Nico had been for better part of the morning.

Dante had thought that Cassidy's idea must be exceedingly great since she had even agreed to go there with Nico alone and shadow travel again. So Dante was real curious to know what that had been all about.

"Oh yeah," Nico said. "She's back at the motel waiting for us. C'mon you need to hear what we found out."

(/)

When Dante and the others walked into the motel room, Cassidy was already waiting for them. She was in jeans and a gray vintage _GRRRRL_ _Power_! T-shirt that was a rarity for a girl, who as far as Dante knew, her wardrobe consisted only of hunting clothes.

When she heard them, Cassidy turned, "Hey, finally you're back. Well, how did you see the situation on the bridge?"

Dante took a step forward. "Well we did manage to come up with a few ideas, but no matter which one we choose to go with, our chances of successes are slim at best. How about you? Nico said you guys found something about the giants that can help us. So tell us, what's up?"

"Yes please tell us," Abby said. "We're dying to know what you learned during your walk through the park, while we were trying to figured out how to save _your_ _lieutenant_."

Cassidy frowned and waved that off. "I didn't go for a _walk_ _in_ _the_ _park._ I went to talk to the nymphs that live at the park. To ask them if they knew anything about the Laistrygonians that might help us save Thalia. Turns out, they did know a few things about them."

Nico, seated at the edge of one of the beds, shook his head, obviously bewildered. "_Few_ _things_!... They didn't stop talking about them for more than an hour. The Laistrygonians do this, do that, they smell like this..."

Cassidy ignored him and continued, "Anyway after talking to the nymphs, I think I know where Thalia is been held at."

"You do?" Abby said narrowing her eyes at Cassidy.

With a quick nod, Cassidy said, "Yes according to the nymphs, the giants have the habit of going around the city kidnapping mortals and taking them back to their home to eat them."

Dante frowned, "Their home?"

Cassidy said, "Yes, the Laistrygonian's home is actually in Lakeview Cemetery. That's where the nymphs said that Thalia is most likely to be at."

"Cassidy," Dante said to the blond hunter, "Are you sure this is true?"

The blond nodded, "The nymphs wouldn't lie to me."

Dante's eyes widened and brightened with something very much like a thought. "In that case I just got an idea."

Nico, who'd stayed quiet on the sidelines, just taking it all in, smirked humorously and said. "Oh! Oh! Something tells me this idea is gonna be more dangerous and crazy than trying to ambush the giants under the bridge."

"Dante what are you thinking?" Abby asked.

Dante drew a deep, slow breath; then he let it out and said, "I'm thinking that we are not gonna wait for the drop anymore. Instead, we are going to visit the Laistrygonian's home. Today."

Abby looked at him as if he were insane, "The four of us... just drop by?"

"That's the new plan." Dante said.

"Told you it was gonna be crazy," said Nico from where he was sitting at.

Shaking her head, Abby said, "Wait! Wait! Wait! I think its best if we stick with our original plan. You know set up a trap under the bridge..."

"No," Dante said shaking his head. "This is better; they won't be expecting us. We'll have the..."

"The element of surprise," Cassidy finished. "It might actually work. I'm all for it."

"I still think is crazy, but yeah why not, I'm in too." Nico said. "Besides its a cemetery I'll be able to summon lots of back up for us, if we need it, which I think we will."

Abby sighed, "Fine let's do it. I'm in."

"Great," Dante said. "Get ready to leave in an hour."

(/)

An hour later Nico shadow traveled them right in front of the gates of the Lakeview Cemetery. Immediately the group of half bloods moved through the gates into the cemetery, moving cautiously as they cut across the lawn away from the paved road. The road actually sliced through the cemetery and ended near the Laistrygonians HQ, but they had decided to avoid taking the direct approach. The Laistrygonians had numbers, so it was extremely important that the demigods had the element of surprise on their side.

Using his hand Dante signaled Cassidy to peel off to the right. Cassidy was quick to obey- she walked swiftly across the grass, in and around the gravestones. Abby followed her looking kind of annoyed at having to team up with Cassidy. Dante and Nico took off to the left, also moving quickly and trying to keep the noise of their footsteps to the minimum. The idea they had come up with in the motel was to take the giants HQ from two sides.

According to what the nymphs had said, the giants' home base was an old mausoleum, not far from the graves of _Bruce_ and _Brandon_ _Lee_. In other circumstances, Dante would have loved to stop and visit their graves. Ever since he had seen the movies _Enter_ _The_ _Dragon_ and _The_ _Crow_ he had been a big fan of them, but unfortunately, a rescue operation wasn't the best time for something like that. _Maybe_ _next_ _time_, he thought. _If there is a next time. _

The nymphs had also told Cassidy that prior to the giants taking over, the old mausoleum had been the home base of a mortal street gang called The Dragons, so called in memory of the late Bruce, but the Laistrygonian forces wiped them all out, years ago. Apparently the giants liked the idea of living in a place where human bodies were brought to them constantly. In fact as Dante walked through the cemetery he noticed that some of the graves had been dug up again, and if he stop and take a closer look he would most likely discovered that the corpses were gone.

The mausoleum stood maybe sixteen feet tall and was about thirty yards long, and was as wide as a small house. However, that seemed to have not been big enough for the Laistrygonians. The wall at one end was serving as a brace for a lean expansion that had been added to the mausoleum. The doors at both ends were wooden now, and the coffins that had formally been stored inside were stacked outside, the bodies inside missing.

Dante wondered if maybe the mist was concealing all of the giants actions from the mortals, yet again, any mortal stupid enough to come investigate most likely wouldn't be leaving this place either.

Within seconds of each other, both groups arrived on either side of the mausoleum. Summoning his bow, Dante notched a special bomb arrow that Cassidy had given to him, and took aim at the wooden door. It was the first time he had call upon the bow Artemis had given him. The weapon fit comfortably within his hands making him feel as he had used it all his life.

Their timing synchronized, both archers shot their bomb arrows at the wooden doors that exploded and splintered everywhere. Wasting no time after the explosion, weapons drawn, Dante and Nico charged in, the girls doing the same from the other end. The four heroes were ready for action, expecting anything... well almost anything. None of them expected to see what they saw inside the mausoleum.

"Gods," Abby said.

"Damn," Nico said.

"What the... what happened here?" Cassidy asked.

Dante couldn't believe his eyes either. They had come prepared to fight the giants and to rescue Thalia, but instead what they had found waiting for them was a _massacre_.

Golden dust was everywhere, and the bodies of dozens of mortals lay on the floor. Blood and gold dust painted the walls in a mixture of red and gold. Tables and chairs were overturned, a small TV had been smashed, and a long wooden table that had run along one of the walls had been cut in half.

From the looks of things, the Lastrygonians had been in the middle of their... _lunch__..._ when they had been attacked. At least more than fifty of the giants' weapons, their clubs, lay scattered around on top of piles and piles of dust. Most likely all them had been slaughtered and apparently they weren't able to put up much of a fight. There weren't any signs that the giants were able to inflict any casualties on their opponents' side.

The mortals, the kidnap victims of the giants, made most of the carnage in the mausoleum. Their bodies sprawled on the floor in various postures of violent death. Some of the bodies had clear signs that they had been killed by giants; ripped limbs, savage bite marks, but the rest had been stabbed and slashed. Whoever or whatever had done this had accomplished it with a sword, great speed, and no mercy, not even for the defenseless mortals.

Dante fought to keep his self-control flooding through him. He swallowed his shock and willed himself into a coldly business like state. His sense of purpose had returned to him. "Cassidy, Nico, cover the entrance quickly," he order them, " Abby you're with me."

Without delay, Cassisdy and Nico went back to the doors on both ends of the mausoleum. They stood guard in case whoever committed this carnage was nearby or planned to returned. Meanwhile, Dante and Abby crept through the room full of bodies, walking gingerly as if to not awake anybody. Although, Dante didn't want to think about it, they needed to search the room in order to make sure that Thalia wasn't among the casualties.

"You don't think Thalia did this, do you?" Abby asked.

"Of course not." Dante said his voice boomed through the mausoleum and echoed in his skull.

"How can you be sure?" Abby asked. "I doubt Thalia played the quiet hostage. May be she broke free, and took out the giants all by herself. She's a daughter of Zeus after all so I thinking that's a possibility."

"Even if that happened, Thalia would have never done something like this." Dante said as he knelt over one of the corpses, the body of a child. The little boy couldn't have been older the eight or nine, and yet, he had been merciless cut down with a sword. Once again Dante fought to keep his emotions under control.

"Oh gods, this is awful," Abby said kneeling beside him. "He was only a little kid. How could someone do something like this?"

_Indeed_, Dante thought as he rose. He placed a hand on Abby's shoulder and said "C'mon we haven't finish looking everywhere." Abby swallowed and nodded at him.

The room revealed no sign of Thalia among the victims, but on the far wall was a shadowy hole that led to the extra wooden room they had seen from the outside. As they approached the hole Dante noticed that there was light beyond the opening, but he couldn't make anything out yet. Of course if Thalia was there she might had been tied up and gagged. But if so, whomever committed this atrocity would hardly have spared her.

"Careful, their could be trap in there." Abby warned him.

Still it was the last place where Thalia could be at. Willing himself to move Dante took a few steps forward. As he slipped through the hole cut in the wall he could see a person sitting on the floor against the far wall- a man.

It was a small room, about ten feet across; the room must have served as the place where the giants kept the mortals before they ate them. Dante let out as a sign of relief as he confirmed that Thalia wasn't in the room. There was a chance she was still alive somewhere.

"Dante, you better come to see this," Abby said standing next to the body of the man. He walked toward the seated body. By the type of clothes the man was wearing, he appeared to have been a homeless guy. There was a blood trail that ran from the middle of the wall to the bottom where the dead man sat. It appeared something sharp had impaled him at one point.

Without a word, Abby pointed to the man's head. Taking a closer look, Dante noticed some type of metallic object sticking out from his mouth. Whatever it was had a cylindrical shape to it. Slowly as the man's dead eyes stared at him, Dante buried the impulse to turn and flee. He withdrew the object from its mouth. It was Thalia's canister, and a letter was attached to it.

Dante turned to Abby, "Go and tell Nico and Cassidy to get in here now." As Abby went to do that, Dante gave the dead homeless guy an apology and wiped the saliva and blood from the canister on its shirt.

The other three entered the room a few minutes later, Cassidy saying, "I don't think anyone is coming back. Why would they when everyone here has already been killed."

"There's also no signs of any traps or anything like that. OH! There's still more bodies here," Nico said looking at the dead body.

At Dante's side, Abby asked. "Dante what's that?"

"That's Thalia's canister," Cassidy said, glancing over at the object in Dante's hand. "Where did you find it?"

"They left it here, for us to find," Dante reply. "Along with this letter."

"Well what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read it." Nico urged.

Abby, Cassidy, and Nico gathered around him. Dante looked from face to face among his friends. Then he let out some air and began reading.

_Hello worm_,

Immediately, Dante knew who wrote the letter. It had to be the same man he had fought in the forest the day Thalia had been kidnapped.

_I knew I couldn't trust you to simply deliver the ransom so that you could have your friend back. You are too much like your mother to do that. So I figured you would rely on tricks to try get what you want,_ _just like her. _

_But two can play that game. So that's why I employed the Lastrygonians to help me acquire my hostage. I knew you would track them down. And of course now that they served their purpose I had to disposed __of them. It was really fun to slaughter them all. Ha! Ha! Ha! _

"OK who writes "Ha! Ha! Ha!" in a letter?" Nico asked.

_Well back to the real business. By now you must have figured out that your friend is in my custody. You want her back come to Blackwoods Island and get her. _

"Damn it," Dante said his voice hard and cold.

_And worm for the sake of your friend don't make me wait too_ _long._

_Ha! Ha! Ha! and more Ha! _

_With regards,_

_Ephialtes _

Going over that name again in his mind, Dante shook his head. This had gone from bad to much, much worse.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] OK there you guys have it the latest chapter of this story I hope you'll like it. Well that's it for now until next time. See ya.


	22. Chapter 22

**Beta by Hidden Firecraker**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secrets Of The Moon**

**Chapter 22**

_There once were two brothers: __Otus and Ephialtes, sons of the god Poseidon and another minor goddess. _

_The two brothers or The Aloadae as everyone else knew them,_ _had been born with the power of invulnerability, meaning that nothing could hurt them. They both grew up as hunters and as the years passed,_ _they became more and more powerful. One night as they slept,_ _their mother whispered to them that they should be the ones ruling the_ _Olympus. Liking the idea, Otus and Ephialtes set out to conquer the gods. _

_The gods,_ _unable to harm them on_ _anyways, __were forced_ _to retreat into __Olympus- all but Ares,_ _who had been ambushed __by the brothers and locked_ _away in a jar by them. The Aloadae demanded two things from the gods as ransom for the war god. One was their unconditional surrender to them._ T_he other was for Hera and Artemis to become their wives. _

_Hera refused to comply with_ _those terms, but Artemis did not. She alone went to the Aloadae palace and met with the brothers. It was there that Artemis told them that she would marry, __but only to the best hunter of the two. Turning herself into a doe, __she had the brothers_ _try __to hunt her under the impression that whoever succeeded would become her husband._

_Being hunters themselves,_ _Otus and Ephialtes agreed __to the goddess'_ _conditions,_ _unknown to them that Artemis had a plan of her own. Before going to their palace, __Artemis had visited the Fates __who told her that the only way to kill the Aloadae was for them to be impaled by their own spears. So while_ _Otus and Ephialtes hunted __her, Artemis patiently waited for the opportunity to make her move. Her patience was rewarded with an opening she didn't hesitate to take, jumping in between the two brothers, __she provoked __an immediate __response. Without thinking Otus and Ephialtes turned __about and thrust their spears at the goddess, who at the last moment vanished, and they ended_ _up piercing each other and dying instantly. _

"And so it was the end of the Aloadae, or at least I think that's as far as the story goes." Dante said, finishing telling the story to his friends. He knew that story only because his mother Galetri had spent most of the time telling him stories about the gods, particularly Artemis, when they had been on their way to the camp. Dante was very surprised that he was able to remember the whole thing.

"So Artemis tricked this Ephialtes guy into killing his own brother," Nico said taking a bite out of a cheeseburger. It was incredible how the son of Hades still had an apatite after witnessing the massacre in the mausoleum. "No wonder why he's pissed," he added as an afterthought as he swallowed his food.

"How can you still eat after what happened in the cemetery?" Abby asked him.

Nico took another bite out of the burger and shrugged, "I've seen worse things in the Fields of Punishment."

They had left the carnage of the cemetery behind, should the cops show up they didn't want to be the ones they questioned about what happened there, so they retreated to a small restaurant. Actually the restaurant itself was more like a lunch counter with a dozen booths lined up around two outside walls. The back wall of the counter area was mostly a huge mirror surrounded by shelves that held coffee cups, water glasses, malt glasses and sundae bowls. The red Formica counter held stainless steel napkins holder and sat in front of silver stools with red tops.

The four comrades sat, nestled in one of the back booths, with only Nico eating. Dante looked at his three friends, Cassidy next to him in the booth, Nico and Abby across. "Well back to Ephialtes again, that's everything I know about him. Any questions?"

"Well I have a few," said Abby. "If Ephialtes is supposed to be dead, how come he's back now? I mean its not like he was born from Tartarus like all the other monsters. So how did he return? And what about Otus, is he like back too?"

"No, its just Ephialtes. His brother Otus faded away a long time ago." Cassidy responded.

"Really, are you sure about that?" Nico asked the blond.

Cassidy nodded. "Every hunter knows the story about Ephialtes well. We make sure to know everything we can about Lady Artemis' worst enemies just in case we may face them again."

"So what else do you know about him, Cassidy?" Dante asked her next.

"Well I do know that Ephialtes came back to life during the times when the Giants raised war against the gods- many enemies of the gods did. But Otus didn't because he had already faded, so Ephialtes joined the giants to try to get revenge on Lady Artemis. When the giants lost the war he was the only one that couldn't be killed again, but Lady Artemis did manage to capture him. After that, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to make a prison to hold him for eternity. As far as I know he should be locked up."

"Then that means someone set him free," Nico concluded. "But who would do such a thing?"

"Oh!," said Dante, as he remember another important piece of the puzzle. "I know the answer to that," he said. He went on to tell them about the woman in his dreams.

"How come it didn't occur to you to tell us about this woman earlier?" Cassidy demanded, after Dante finished. "After everything Thalia told you about dreams, you still kept quiet."

Dante's eyes fell, his face turning crimson as he said, "Yeah I know I should have, but honestly meeting Ephialtes made me forget about her. I didn't remember her until now... I'm sorry."

"So this mystery veil woman- any ideas on who she might be?" Nico asked, but Dante shook his head.

"There's no point worrying about this woman now," Abby said. "We simply don't know enough to figure her out. Sure we can sit here and play "G_uess_ W_ho_" all day, but I think its best if we focus on finding this island where Ephialtes took Thalia to."

Dante considered this for a few moments, then said, "Yeah you are right. We'll worry about this woman later, right now getting to Blackwoods Island is our priority. So, any idea on where this island might be?" His three friends shook their heads. "Well in that case Nico do you think you can shadow travel us there without knowing the exact location?"

Then taking a deep breath Nico answered. "Yeah I think so. It really doesn't matter if I don't know in what part of the world the place is, as long as I know the name of it I'll be able to open a path." He stopped talking for a second as if to considering something, then he said, "But the only problem with that is that I'll have to use the whole island a reference point. There's no telling where we'll appear. We could come out anywhere in there, like the enemy camp or something like that."

Dante gave that some thought, _damn leadership was hard, _if the only risk were his safety he'd already be on his way. But now he had to take into consideration the effects of his action on others. Cassidy and Abby kept watching Dante waiting for him to tell them what he decided.

He was their leader, and they would follow him anywhere no matter what; he knew as much, and he appreciated it, because this time he'd be taking them straight into a death trap.

"I say we risk it. But what do you guys think, Abby,? Cassidy?" He asked the girls.

"Let's do it," Abby said with a reassuring smile. "It doesn't sound more dangerous than any of your other plans. So let's go for it."

"I'm for it too. Whatever is waiting for us, I'm sure we can't handle it." Cassidy said.

Dante smiled at them, he was enjoying their enthusiasm and confidence. Finally, he stood up and said, "Let's go save Thalia then."

(/)

After paying the bill, the group headed outside the restaurant. The sun had grown warm and felt good on their faces. The four of them turned down an alley trooping far away from the street and into the shadows, Nico leading the way.

"Aagh! Why does it always have to be an alley?" Cassidy said with unmistakable contempt.

The alley smelled of decaying food and urine, and somewhere a cat cried out. Slipping behind a dumpster, the four of them stood out of sight of the traffic on the street. Though, Nico still peered around looking for prying eyes.

"OK ready," Nico said opening the shadow path. "Just like before."

Dante took a deep breath, then he took out his knives and said to Abby and Cassidy, "We don't know what's waiting for us on the other side, so be ready for anything, OK." The girls responded by readying their weapons as well. Then they ran full speed toward the shadows and then..."AUH!... the three of them cried in unison as they hit the wall face first.

Dante covered his face with his hands and snapped at the son of Hades, "'Nico what the...what was that?"

"I don't know," Nico said, and Dante sensed that he too was perplexed. "You guys ran into the wall."

"Oh really, thanks for telling us Captain Obvious," Abby growled.

Cassidy looked like she wanted to hit someone, Nico probably, and said, "If this was your idea of a joke I'm gonna..."

"Its not," Nico said pressing his hands against the wall as if trying to push it back. "Somehow the shadow path is being blocked- I can't open it."

"How is that possible?" Dante said.

"I don't know, it has never happened to me before." Nico told him, " It seems that Ephialtes doesn't want us to just drop by unannounced."

Dante scowled. " Yeah, he wants to be able to see us coming."

Nico's mouth snapped closed. "So what now? If we can't shadow travel, how are we going to find the island?"

Dante briefly closed his eyes. "We'll have to look for it the old fashioned way- in a map. Hopefully we'll be able to find it in one."

"Wait I think I know a faster and better way to find it." Abby said.

"That's great, what is it?" Dante asked.

"No time to explain," she said, "I have to get there before they close." She looked at Nico and said. "I need you to take me somewhere," she leaned into Nico's ear and whispered something.

"OK," Nico said quietly, "Yeah I can do that."

"Great." Abby glanced back at Dante, and Cassidy. "You two go back to the motel and wait for us there. We won't take long."

Cassidy glared at them. "Why not tell us where you're going? Why the big secret?"

Dante watched Abby tilt her head, he thought she looked amused. "What's the matter, jealous because I'm the one with the great idea on how to get information this time?"

Cassidy cast Abby such a dirty look that, if Dante had been in her shoes, he would probably have reached for his knife. Abby, however, seemed not to care. She in fact, looked very pleased with herself. Which in return made Cassidy even angrier.

"Well anyway," Abby said to Dante, "We'll see you soon!" She turned and then Nico and she both disappeared into the shadows before Dante could say a word.

"Well I guess we'll just wait in the motel then." Dante murmured to Cassidy. They both proceed to leave the alley.

(/)

The motel where they were staying wasn't far from their current location, so Dante and Cassidy simply walked back to it. As they walked through the street, Dante heard Abby say.

"Dante I need to speak to you about something."

"Sure what is it?" Dante replied.

Cassidy sighed, and glanced around as if to see if anyone was listening to them. There wasn't anyone close by, she whispered, " I think we should lose Nico and Abby."

Dante glanced at her." What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about what happened in the mausoleum. The way the canister and the letter were left behind for us to find. Ephialtes knew we were coming that's why he left them there. Now think about it- our plan was to wait until tomorrow for the drop and save Thalia then, only this morning we decided it to attack the mausoleum and Ephialtes chooses to move Thalia at the exact same time. That's an awful big coincidence, don't you think? Somebody told him our plan and its obvious that it had to be either Nico or Abby who did it or maybe even both."

Dante knew that most of what Cassidy was saying was true. In fact, those same thoughts had crossed his mind at some point, but in the end, he chose to believe in his friends and shoved those thoughts aside.

"I have considered that possibility already. But we're here to save Thalia, and we can't do it alone. We're just gonna have to trust each other on this."

He glimpsed the surprise in her eyes, "Trust them?" she said. "Dante this is unreputable evidence that we are being betrayed, and in case you have forgotten, the prophecy said we'll be led to a trap by a traitor."

"Yes I still remember that part. But it also said that the traitor may also save my life. So might as well stick together and hope for the best. Beside, Chiron told me that there's no point going against a prophecy. They always come true in the end. So all we can do is just go with it."

Cassidy let out a heavy sigh, "Fine whatever you say, but I still think you're making a big mistake in trusting them. And tell me, what happens if the traitor chooses not to save you?"

He grinned at her. "Then I guess you can tell me, _I told you so_."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't think for a second that I won't." And they both had to laugh. It felt good.

Then the two hunters exchanged a serious nod, and Dante said, "Everything will work out you'll see."

"Well with such an optimistic fool leading us, how can I ever doubt that?" she said, and they shared another laugh as they made their way through the streets of Seattle.

(/)

Sitting on the bed in his motel room, finally getting some time to himself, Dante sorted through mental files filled with the things he and Cassidy had talked about. Even though it had just been only about an hour since, that conversation in the street seemed so long ago. Perhaps because some of the facts summoned some doubts in him.

Even as Dante had dealt with the daily task of just trying to hold the fragile truce of their group together, what Cassidy had told him weighed heavily. He shifted through everything again and again, over and over, and the conclusion never seemed to change. _Someone was informing the enemy of their every move._

And if that was the case then the grotesque, terrible killings in the mausoleum had been partially, at least his fault.

He would have preferred not to feel responsible for the killings, to be able to rationalize them away: but the guilt and the responsibility was his. If he had stuck with the original plan of waiting for the drop day instead of going to the mausoleum, maybe some of the mortals would still be alive.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, he got to his feet. Pacing now, he felt slightly better- any activity was better than none. He was also starting to get worried, Nico and Abby were still not back yet. Marching over to the door, he was tempted to go over to the next room and ask Cassidy if they should go out looking for them. Ever since they got back to the motel, Cassidy went into her own room and Dante hadn't heard so much as a peep from her.

A quick knock on the door was followed by Nico, in his black T-shirt, Levi's and running shoes, filling the frame of the doorway. "Hey we're back, come over to the girls' room- you might want to take a look at what we got."

"Where did you guys go? Why did it take you so long to get back?" Dante asked.

"Oh! Abby just wanted me to take her to the library to use the computers. We were able to get there before they closed, and also we did manage to find a few things on Blackwoods Island. Great news, by the way, turns out the island is actually nearby. But come, Cassidy and Abby are waiting for us."

With a deep sigh, Dante moved out to the girls' room.

(/)

Cassidy and Abby were looking over some papers when Dante and Nico strode into the room. Looking at Abby, Dante asked, "So what do you got here?"

"Take a look for yourself," she said, handing him some of the papers. Dante took them and started flipping over them; there were mostly maps and a few copies of old articles. "Its not much I know, but its everything we could find on the island before the library closed." Abby told him.

"You used the Internet?" Dante said, "I thought we demigods couldn't use it? Too dangerous they told me."

"Cell phones are," Abby began explaining. "Monsters will find you in a sec with them. The Internet, however, is safer to use. Just as long as you don't search for any monsters you should be just fine."

"So the internet," Cassidy said frowning at Abby. "That was your great idea?"

Abby smiled and nodded, "It worked didn't it? We now have the location of the island and maps of it that can show us what to expect when we get there. I don't know, if you ask me, I think my idea was just as good as going to a park and talking to the nymphs. But what do you think Dante?"

Dante looked from Abby to Cassidy, who both were staring back at him. "Umm... well you have to admit it was a good call. It had not even crossed my mind to use the Internet. It did save us a lot of time searching for the island."

"Well thank you Dante," said Abby looking very pleased with herself. Cassidy didn't say anything; instead she just went back to examine the papers.

Dante turned his attention back to the documents as well. The first of the maps he looked at showed the location of Blackwoods Island; it was several miles to the west of Seattle, not too far from the coast. _We_ _are gonna need to get a boat somehow_, he thought.

He moved to the next paper- it was a map of the entire island itself. Immediately, the gears in Dante's head began moving, as he was already coming up with a strategy on how to best to approach the island. The map showed that as the name implied, the island was mostly cover by woods, with the exception of a clearing in the middle. Several black marks implied that there was some type of construction on it.

_Most likely that's the enemy strong hold._

Looking at Abby, he asked, "Did you get anything on what type of buildings are on the island? Or what the island is used for?"

"Umm... hold on a sec," she said, and began going through the papers she was holding. "I think its a house or something like that." Then she found one of the articles. "Yes, here it is. It says that the island was owned by some rich family called the Crowleng's, years ago. They built their mansion right in the middle of it."

"Does the family still live there?" Dante asked, worried that Ephialtes might be holding the family hostage as well. To his relief Abby shook her head, and said, "No. Apparently the entire family died in some freak accident many years ago, all but the family's younger son." Taking a moment to scan more articles, Abby continued, "But I think he's gone now, too" Then stopping on one, she said. "Yeah he is long gone. It seems that about fourteen years ago he disappeared without leaving a trace and no one has lived on the island ever since. Oh and check this out- he disappeared on Halloween's night, that must be how the haunted island stories began."

"Haunted island?" Dante inquired.

"Yeah," Nico cut in." Turns out the locals believe that the island is haunted by ghosts and other evil spirits. How cool is that, huh?"

Dante raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that aside from Ephialtes there are ghosts on the island too."

Nico grinned, "Could be, but if they are ghosts then we have nothing to fear. I'm the ghost king- as long as I'm with you they won't harm us. But I'm not so sure about the aliens though."

Dante snorted a laugh. "What there are aliens too?"

Nico's grin grew even more, it appeared he was enjoying this type of conversation. "According to these guys there are." he said, giving Dante a copy of an article. Dante look at the article; it was from an old tabloid and it was dated from about fourteen years ago.

**Local Fisherman claims UFO sighting at Blackwoods Island.**

_Located about two hours from our shore is the infamous Blackwoods Island which over the last few years has enjoyed __an ever growing paranormal reputation. Ever since the strange accident that claimed the lives of its prominent owners, the island has remained in a shroud of mystery. With countless witnesses claiming to have spotted shadow figures and even strange creatures roaming the island, __many believed that the island might be a __paranormal hot spot. But now a new theory has emerged that has everyone wondering if instead of paranormal, __it might be an extraterrestrial landing zone._

"Oh c'mon," Dante said. "OK, I'll give you that since the Underworld is real, I believe ghosts are real too. But aliens? Seriously?"

"Wait keep reading, it gets better," Nico said.

_Such is the case of local fisherman Ivan Hadik who claimed that this pass October 31__st__, __he witnessed a UFO launching from Blackwoods Island. _

_October 31__st__...__ Why did my birthday had to be the exact same day that all these weird stuff always tends to happened, Dante thought._

_Mr. Hadik __explains what he saw. "It was late in the night and __I was navigating in my boat near the island. Then out of nowhere this light appeared right in the center of the island, it was so incredibly __bright that I had to look away. When I was finally able to see again the light was gone, I didn't know what it was, so I stuck __around for a while to see if it happened again. After a little bit, I was about to give up and go back to the harbor when suddenly I saw this thing floating right above the island. Then just like that the UFO shot into the night sky and disappeared. _

Dante looked at Nico incredulously, but the son of Hades pressed him to keep reading.

_When asked __to describe what the UFO looked __like, Mr. Hadik gave no traditional description. "It looked __nothing like a flying saucer, if I had __to describe it I'd have to say it looked __more like a sleigh. Yeah a metal...no more like silver... yes it looked __like a silver sleigh._

"A silver-what?" Cassidy asked interrupting the reading.

"A silver sleigh," Dante said holding back a laugh. "Can you believe that? This guy thinks that aliens drive silver sleighs."

Cassidy was looking at him with a blank expression on her face. "A silver sleigh, but that sounds like..."

Frowning at the sight of her grave expression, Dante asked, "Sounds like what?"

Cassidy shook her head, as she said, "Never mind its nothing. Anyway, if you're done with that maybe we can go back to figuring how to save Thalia now."

"Oh," Dante said. "Yeah, you're right, sorry about that. OK here's where we are. We know where the island is at, but we have no way of getting to it. So the first thing we need to do is get a transport. Any ideas on that?"

"Three Tree Point," Nico said.

All three just looked at him. "What?" Dante asked.

"We need a boat to get to the island, right? In one of the articles, it says that there's this place called Three Tree Point where lots of boats are kept. We can go there and "_borrow_" one."

"You mean stealing one." Cassidy said looking at Nico disapprovingly. "You want us to go there and steal a boat? We can't do that."

Dante didn't like the idea anymore than Cassidy did, but they didn't seem to have many options. "I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice but to do things this way," he said to the blond apologetically. "If we want to get to the island we're gonna need to take one of the boats. Don't worry Cassidy, we'll make sure to give it back."

Cassidy nodded, and looked away.

"Well now that we got that settled, let''s pack our stuff and get going," he said.

They all nodded at him. Half an hour later they finally left the motel and were on their way to get themselves a boat.

**To be continued...**

[A/N] Well there it was I hope you'll enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you guys thought of it in your reviews OK. I know that the pace of the story has slow down a bit, but it will pick up in the next chapter. There will be more action on it I promise. Well that's it for now until next time. Seeya.


	23. Chapter 23

**Beta by Hidden Firecraker.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it.

**Secrets Of The Moon**

**Chapter 23**

With Nico's shadow travel, it didn't take long for them to arrive at _Three Tree Point_. Whereas Nico had said dozens of boats awaited for them, unfortunately, so did lots and lots of people.

There were still a couple of hours left before dusk, so all the teenage group could do was wait for all the people to go home, and hopefully at night the security would lax a bit too. The group settled themselves behind one of the buildings, away from prying eyes, and got comfortable.

Leaning against the wall, Dante studied the maps of the island, his brain working on the details of their plan. Nico sat on his left looking up to the sky, probably wishing for it to get dark faster. To his right, Abby and Cassidy tried to catch some sleep, and incredibly the two of them had leaned into each other as they slept. For the first time ever the two enemies seemed at peace with each other.

Glancing over at them, Dante wished he had a cell phone to take a photo of the sleeping girls. It wasn't often he was presented with an image that was such perfect blackmail material. A photo like that would be the best way keep Abby from ever calling him _mamma's_ _boy_ ever again.

As dusk settled into the night, the people at the _Three Tree Point_ began leaving. "Finally," Nico said, getting up on his feet. "Thought they'd never leave. C'mon this is our chance."

The two girls stirred, saw the position they were in, and instantly jumped to their feet, each looking toward the boys to see if they had noticed them. They glanced quickly at each other, and gave a little nod, which probably meant; _that_ _never_ _happened-_ _let's_ _never_ _talk_ _about_ _it_. Looking at the boys again they let out a sigh of relief as they assumed they hadn't seen them.

"You girls have a nice nap?" Nico asked.

Cassidy glared at the son of Hades, and Abby offered a couple of short words in response. After that, they got moving.

Within minutes they helped themselves to a motorboat with a big outboard. While Dante didn't know much about the difference between boat motors, he was acquainted with the concept of "_Bigger_ _means_ _Faster"_. He was also amazed at how Cassidy seemed to know a lot of how to operate motorized vehicles.

"How is it that you know how to work this boat?" he asked her.

Cassidy reply to that was, "When you live as long as I do you pick up a skill our two along the way."

So with Cassidy acting as the captain, racing across the water in someone else's speedboat was no prob for the half-blood group.

Finally, they were on their way to save Thalia.

(/)

The water lay quiet and smooth, and the demigods' boat skimmed along the surface at just over thirty five miles per hour. Dante worried that they were going too fast, considering that it was dark, and they had no idea what lay in their path. But he was more anxious to arrive at the island, and save Thalia.

They dropped the hammer and roared through the night. They would have the cover of darkness for their approach, but still the moon was a big bright ball in the sky letting in light that would provide more illumination than they would want when they landed on the island. That didn't make them feel any better, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Half a mile away, Abby cut the engine, and anchored the speedboat, Dante laid out his plan of action for taking the island. None of his friends questioned his strategy; in that moment they were a commando squad ready to follow their leader anywhere. After Dante finished explaining his plan, they took a smaller rubber raft the rest of the way.

As Dante and his half-blood trio drag the raft onto the shore, he was surprised that no one was waiting for them. The island perimeter was made up of a massive forest, but they knew from Abby's Internet research that the mansion sat right in the middle of it. Scanning the woods in front of him, Dante communicated to his friends that they should spread out and approach the mansion in pairs.

This time, Abby went with him to the left, while Nico accompanied Cassidy to the right. They expected Ephialtes to have set a few traps for them in the forest, but with Cassidy and Dante being hunters, the chances of them figuring out the traps were great.

Dante turned to glance at Abby for reassurance as they made their way through the woods. The girl had her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready for action. Dante stopped and pointed slightly ahead of them. Just like before he could sense everything moving in the forest, he held up three fingers.

As soon as he had done that gesture, a trio of hell hounds stepped into their paths- with their fangs and claws ready they charged at the pair. As the first of the hell hounds came at him, Dante gripped the hilts of his knives and swung one of them at the monster's throat. The blade of the knife sliced through meat and muscle, nearly severing the hell hound's head from its shoulders. A golden trail streamed behind the knife like the tail of a comet, as the hell hound was disintegrated into dust.

Dante's silver eyes turned yellow, and a fierce growl filled his ears. It took him a second to realize that the growl had come from his own throat.

(/)

Simultaneously, as Dante took out the first hell hound, Abby got ready to deal with the other two who had chosen to come after her. She drew her sword just as a berserk hell hound was closing in for the kill. A massive paw swung at her head, Abby ducked beneath the claw and slashed her blade across the hell hound's abdomen. Howling in agony, the beast dropped limply onto the ground turning to dust an instant later.

Right after, Abby spun around, but not fast enough- the second hell hound was already way too close to her. Abby knew there was only one way to deal with a situation like this. Knowing it was a dangerous and desperate move she shut her eyes. Raising her hand, she yelled, "Respini", there was a quick flash of light and the monster that had been inches from ripping her head off was sent flying back into a tree. The hell hound lay on the ground unmoving and silent for a few seconds then it began stirring again. Realizing that she didn't have a second to spare, Abby moved forward and buried her blade deep into the beast. A savage howl escaped the hell hound, and a second later it quieted down and vanished .

"How did you do that?"

She recognized Dante's voice at once. Turning around she looked at the boy who was standing across from her. Abby blinked in surprise, startled to find that Dante's silver eyes where now yellow glowing orbs.

"It was a repelling spell," Abby said, still puzzled by her friend's eyes. "It repels any attack that comes at me. Now your turn. What's up with your eyes? They're a different color now."

Dante glanced away from her and rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah I know- it's been happening every time I'm in a battle. I don't know what it is." Taking a deep breath he move his hand away from his face, and looked back at her. His eyes' silver color was back. "There is that better?"

"Yeah they're back to normal again."

Dante sighed in relief. "That's good, for a moment there I thought I might lose control again. I really have to figure out what's happening to me. Anyway, you said you used a repelling spell, you mean like magic and stuff?"

"Of course, as a daughter of Hecate, the goddess of magic, its one of my inherent traits along with a few other things." Abby said.

"Wow, that's actually really..." Dante stopped in the middle of his sentence as if something else seemed to have capture his attention. He threw back his head as if he were listening to something intently then he looked at her and whispered, "We got to go. More of them are coming."

Abby nodded. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and began running. Dante fell into step right next to her.

(/)

Meanwhile on the other side of the island, Cassidy and Nico faced a similar challenge.

Cassidy had spotted the three guards early on, they were Dracaenaes, and signaled to Nico to get around the trio and come up behind them. The plan worked, and the three snake women were dispatched almost before they knew they were attacked.

After finishing them off, the two heroes pressed on.

They would stay silent as long as possible, but Cassidy expected that they would face more serious trouble up ahead. Careful to keep her voice low, Cassidy growled, "Something doesn't feel right. If Ephialtes is expecting us, how come there are almost no guards? There are also no signs of traps or anything."

Nico shrugged, "Maybe he still doesn't know we're here. He might have thought it would take us more time to find the island. That's why they are not ready for us."

"Somehow I don't think we are that lucky."

They moved forward through the woods and had managed to advance another hundred yards when six more Dracaenaes, with bows and arrows, surrounded them along with a couple of hell hounds.

"Thought I told you to watch our backs," Cassidy snapped.

"I was, but I'm not like Dante. I can't see very well in the night like he can," Nico reply. "Besides, aren't you the hunter? Shouldn't you have sense them first?"

"Shut up... I'm trying to think here."

Nico sighed, "Don't worry I got a plan to get as out of this."

Slithering forward, one of the Dracaenaes hissed, "Surrender or died demigodssss."

_Well so much for them not knowing we're here_, Cassidy thought.

Cassidy and Nico raised their hands giving off an aura of surrender. Then suddenly Nico yelled, "Get them boys." At his command, the hell hounds turned on the Dracaenaes and attacked them.

In an instant, a couple of Dracaenae found themselves ripped to shreds by the hounds. Taking advantage of the confusion of the rest of the snake women, Cassidy and Nico exploded into action too.

Sidestepping the Dracaenae that had given the order, Cassidy went for the one on her right. Summoning her bow she shot an arrow at her chest- the Dracaenae hissed in surprise and vanished into thin air a second later. Quickly, Cassidy rolled away and jumped up as the Dracaenae leader let fly an arrow of her own. Cassidy dodged the arrow, then spinning back the other way, she unleashed a vicious kick that knocked the bow out of the leader's hand. As the snake woman staggered back, Cassidy discarded her bow and drew her hunting knives, and drove the blade of one knife deep into the solar plexus of the Dracaenae.

Having taken care of the leader, Cassidy looked around to see how many Dracaenaes were left. She saw that Nico, with the help of two hell hounds, had already dispatched the rest of them.

_He is the son of Hades of course the hell hounds would obey him_, Cassidy thought figuring out why the hell hounds were suddenly helping them.

"You all right?" Nico asked.

"Of course," Cassidy said, then she pointed at the hell hounds. "What are we going to do with them?"

Nico turned to the hell hounds and patted their heads, "There's nothing to worry about they are actually quite friendly. They can come with us and help..."

Nico didn't get to finish as all of a sudden several arrows struck the hide of the hell hounds and killed them. Then another arrow grazed Nico's right side as he tried to dodge the projectiles that were being shot at him. Cassidy dodged right and left as more arrows were fired at her as well. Then they heard the sound of a horn. More Dracaenaes had found them and had sounded the alarm.

"Nico are you OK?" Cassidy asked.

Nico looked down at his right side, his black T-shirt was getting darker. "Yeah... its just a scratch."

"Good ,in that case," Cassidy said, " Let's move, now." And they were running.

(/)

Dante got worried when he heard the sound of a horn coming from the other side of the island. He hoped that Cassidy and Nico were safe, but in the current situation, he couldn't fret about it for long. To his left he saw a five Dracaenaes-patrol just as they saw him. Immediately the Dracaenaes' bows came up.

"Abby look out," he shouted. "Run!" Wasting no time they both took off.

Dante could hear Abby moving through the woods behind him. Arrows whizzed past them _thunking_ into the trees. The two half-bloods sprinted on, ducking, weaving, and dodging- the Dracknaes squad giving chase after them.

Then suddenly, Abby wasn't following him anymore. Dante turned to see where she was, but the arrows still flew at him, keeping him from looking for her. Rolling to his right, he popped up to see Abby appearing out of nowhere and cutting one of the Dracaenaes in half.

Dante sprang to his feet and rushed one of the Dracaenaes. The snake woman was so stunned she didn't even fire and arrow at him, as he ran toward her. Drawing his knives, he stabbed her in the face. Shrieking the Dracaenae reeled backwards and turned to dust. Already Dante's eyes flashed yellow again.

He looked around for Abby, and spotted her a few yards away taking down another Dracaenae. Dante was hugely impressed of how the girl held her own against the snake women. The odds were against her, but no one would ever know it from the courageous way she threw herself into the fray. Dante watched as the daughter of Hecate took out the fourth Darcaenae with ease, and now was engaging in a duel the last one.

Then, sensing a presence trying to sneak up behind him, Dante turned ready to face the new arrival. He froze as he realized that it was neither a Dracaenae or a hell hound that was staring back at him.

"But wait...What are you doing here?" Dante asked.

His momentary lapse in attention cost him dearly. As the person in front of him raised a bow and fired an arrow directly at him.

"Dante!" He heard Abby yell. But the warning came too late- the arrow struck Dante right in the center of his chest. As he fall back Dante's eyes met Abby's for the briefest fraction of a second. Then his gaze went to the sky where millions of stars and an even brighter moon shone upon him. And then finally as if someone had turn off the lights the entire world went dark.

_**To be continued...**_

[A/N] Well there it is. I hope you'll like it, let me know what you guys think of it. Well until next time Seeya.


	24. Chapter 24

**Beta by Hidden Firecraker**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secrets Of The Moon**

**Chapter 24**

"Dante! Dante!" A soft feminine voice was calling his name.

"Wake up my child. Open your eyes." The voice spoke once more.

"Mom," he slurred, opening his eyes. "Is that really you, mom?"

"Yes," came a girl's voice. "Although I'm sure I'm not the mother you are thinking of."

Dante flew straight up, his breath coming out in a surprised gulp. Part of him knew he'd been dreaming, and he expected the quick relief of reality to set in. Except, when he blinked, the image of Artemis sitting formally across from him didn't go away.

"You seem to have gotten yourself in quite a dilemma my son," she said.

Dante look down at his chest; there was no arrow, no blood. "Am I dreaming?" he whispered.

"Yes and no," Artemis said. "You're indeed asleep, but your consciousness is really here with me right now."

He blinked, trying to make sense of what she just said. So he was there and at the same time he was not. _Talk about being __confused._ But that begged the question. "And where are we exactly?"

Dante looked around and from what he could tell he was inside a tent. Pillows and rugs covered the entire floor and animal pelts hung from the walls. A fire burned behind the goddess. "I brought you over to my camp, so that we could have a talk. We didn't get the chance to finished our conversation last time, did we now?"

He glared at her. "You want to have a talk right now. I don't know if you're aware of this, but I'm kind of busy at the moment. You know, trying to save Thalia? She has been kidnapped and..."

"I am aware of the situation with Thalia." Artemis cut him off.

"You are aware and yet you're not doing anything to help her..." Dante began, but stopped when the goddess flashed him a hard look. He felt a thrill of fear and went quiet.

Then Artemis said, "Don't assume that I don't care what happens to my hunters. Believe it or not I have been helping you even though I shouldn't. Once a quest has been given gods aren't allowed to help no matter what, and yet against those very rules here I am trying to assist you."

Dante forced himself to meet the goddess gaze. It was a lot harder to do than he imagined. He could feel the power sleeping beneath her skin, a translucent energy masked in elegance. Feeling like a scorned child, Dante said, low. "So what do you want to talk about?"

The goddess sucked in her breath. "Let's begin with you." She curled her hands together. "I can sense the struggled within you. You won't be able to accomplish this quest if you are fighting your enemies and yourself at the same time."

For a moment, Dante was unsure of her meaning, but then her silver eyes flickered yellow and he understood.

"You know what's happening to me? Why am I losing control?" said Dante.

The twelve year old girl tilted her head, cool. "You are not losing control. You are simply doing what is in your nature to do."

"Doing what is in my nature..." Dante looked at Artemis, an expression of bewilderment passing over his face. "What are you talking about? I lose control and become like a wild animal. All I can think about is killing whatever gets in front of me. That's not my nature. That's not who I am."

"But that's exactly who you are." Artemis said. "Because that's exactly who I am. You were born from me, the goddess of the hunt and also of the wild. Your entire being is made of pure instinct, and just as every creature in the wild instinctively does what they must in order to ensure their survival, so do you. Whether it is hunting down your prey or taking down everything that might be a threat to you. Your instincts are a natural response to those types of situations. Its a power you have had since birth."

"But I end up losing myself in it," Dante argued. "Last time I almost turned on Cassidy. I could have hurt her or anyone else for that matter."

Then a deep and profound silence followed. The goddess' gaze never once faltered as she said, "You were trying to suppress your instincts. You bottled them up and when they were finally released, they ended up overwhelming you. That is why that incident with Cassidy happened; you must always try to keep a balance between yourself and your instincts."

"I don't understand. You said I've had this power since birth," Dante said. "But it's never been like this before, so why now?"

"This is happening because of the anger inside of you- your anger towards me." Artemis' mouth tightened, and for a moment, Dante thought he sensed pain. "You outright rejected me, and by doing so, you subconsciously are rejecting a part of yourself. Do you understand now? Dante your wild nature can't be suppressed nor pushed aside, you must embrace it." She shook her head, mouth pressed into a hard line. "Even if you never accept me Dante, you must accept yourself. It's the only way you will survive this."

Silence pressed down on them. Dante caught his breath, but Artemis did not give him a chance to respond. "It seems time is being cut short for us again. You must go back- your friends need you. But before you go, Dante beware. The place you're heading for is very dangerous. Is a place of darkness, a place I myself never wanted to go back to ever again, nor I wanted you to know about."

"You mean the island? Wait have you been there before?" he asked.

The goddess grimaced, staring at her side. "Yes and so have you."

Before Dante could ask her what she meant by that, a light began to envelop him. "What's... going on?" Dante hesitated.

"You're going back now," Artemis said, then she responded to the question in his eyes. "Yes, you're still alive. You're welcome."

Then a blaze of white light blinded him, and Dante lost his body to a great empty expanse that made his mind brittle. He had no mouth to scream, no arms to flail, but he felt his soul fall, fall too fast, and then the light disappeared and he was on his back, and on the ground.

(/)

Abby instinctively dodged left as the last remaining Dracanae swung her sword at her. Jumping high, she somersaulted and came down at the tails of the snake woman, who flinched just before Abby decked her sword and turned her to dust.

She looked around for Dante, found him, then her heart lurched as she realized a guard had appeared and had Dante zeroed in with a bow..."Dante!" Abby yelled, but she was too late. The guard fired a single arrow, then the arrow _thwacked_ into Dante's chest, and he hurtled backwards, his arms flying out, his eyes going wide, his mouth open, but no sound came out and he disappeared into the brush.

In the next instant, the guard had turned toward where he'd heard Abby yell. She dove for cover and rolled behind a tree. She stood there behind the trunk in a daze, turning her head right, her eyes open with horror as she saw that Dante wasn't getting up again.

And then a dry male voice said, "C'mon sweetheart don't make this harder than it has to be. I promise I'll make it quick just like with your friend here."

Possessed by a burning rage Abby blasted out from behind the tree. Part of her wanted to rush to Dante's side and see to his injuries, but she knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down for the moment. Zigzagging, she avoided being hit by the arrows that the guard was shooting at her. When his quiver was empty, she swept his legs and dumped him on his back. As he tried to kick his way back to his feet, Abby swung her sword down at him, but in the last second, the man took out a sword of his own and blocked the blow.

"Not bad," the man said, and smiling a terrible smile. "Not bad at all. It's been a while since I had a good sparing partner other than my brother."

Abby took that moment to take noticed of the man's appearance for the first time. He had blue eyes that peered out from behind a helmet, he wore familiar Greek armor that she knew she had seen somewhere else before. Then she remembered where...

With an explosive burst of strength the man propelled Abby backward, regaining his footing. Then with his free hand he reached for his helmet, and before he took it off Abby had a pretty good idea who he was.

The brown haired guard from Olympus.

"Why are you here?" Abby asked, pointing her sword at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why? You say," the man said mockingly. "Because its my job, of course. Why else?" Then his sword came whistling through the air at her neck. Abby parried in time, but the jarring impact sent a jolt through her arm. Stumbling backwards a few steps Abby gave ground.

Lowering her blade momentarily toward the ground, Abby asked. "Your job? Are you working for Ephialtes? And come think about it, who or better yet what are you? You're not a minor god, or demigod are you?"

The brown hair man smile, "First I do not work for Ephialtes, OK? That big oaf might have been powerful in the old days, but now, he is not even half of what he used to be. Being locked up in a cage for more than a millennium would do that to you. _Sap_ most of your power away. So please don't insult me by saying that I work for him." Seeing an opening he charged at her again, but Abby ducked beneath the blow and spun around behind him. "And as for who I am, well my name is Aios, and what I am," he continued, "I though you would have already figured it out. I am one of the few hand picked mortals that Lord Zeus himself choose to protect Olympus. I am one of his immortal soldiers, I am a Daimond."

_Daimond_, Abby remembered hearing about them once. They were the mortals that had fought with the gods against the titans in the first war. Zeus had been so impress by their bravery and battle skills that he granted them immortality in exchange for them guarding Olympus for eternity. But it was said that they only obeyed Zeus, so why was this one sent here? Then a realization dawned on her.

"Tell me, was it Hera that put you up to this?" she asked him.

"Enough with the questions," he said coldly. "Let's finish this now. I got to get back before they began to wonder where I am. I was only supposed to killed the son of Artemis and head back, but I was also told to leave no witnesses. So, sorry but its time for you to die, nothing personal, I hope you understand that."

She slowly lifted her sword. "Sure, _nothing_ _personal_, got it."

Her blade sliced through the air. He parried with his own sword, blocking her blow. Spark flew as metal rang against metal. She flipped her sword and rammed its hilt into his chest. He stumbled backwards into a tree, but with incredible speed, he rebounded from the tree and lunged at her like a demon. Abby went for the kill, but he batted the thrust away with his own sword and swung back savagely.

With blow after blow, he forced her back, then his blade bounced off the guard of her hilt, barely missing her fingers. The blow almost knocked her sword from her grasp. "Give it up. You can't beat me- I'm stronger than you." he proclaimed.

Abby did not deny it. He was a good seven inches taller than her, and about hundred or so pounds heavier, and the muscle bulging from his armor indicated he was a good deal stronger than her too, just like he said. But fortunately, muscles weren't everything in a fight.

The man growled, and Abby swung her sword at his chest. He jumped back, then came forward trying to get in close to where he could take full advantage of his size. Abby sidestepped him, and struck at his back as he went by, then as he turned and blocked the blow, she leaped and broke his nose with her boot.

Enraged now, the man charged again.

Abby was able to hold her ground, and when he hurled himself at her, Abby simply dropped. As the man flew over her, she raised her hand at his chest and said, "Respini." The Daimond flew several feet in the air then came down sprawling onto the forest floor.

As he tried to sit up again, Abby was on him. A quick kick to his face sent him back down. Then remembering how he had shot Dante, a righteous fury rose up inside her like a storm. As the Daimond raised his head again, Abby hurled her sword across and severed his neck. Unlike the monsters, the Diamond body turned into a white mist as he died.

Once the body of her foe was gone, Abby's gaze fell upon Dante, his unmoving body impaled by an arrow, everything else flew her mind.

"Dante!" she called out to him, and began moving toward him.

She was about to reach him when she heard movement, then a shadow appeared at her side. Before she could register who it was, a fist slammed into her face. Now on the floor, Abby's face stung from the blow, and as she was trying to get up, a surprise kick to her ribs knocked the air out of her. Everything went black for a heartbeat, then she felt a fist seize her hair by the handful and yanked her head back up again. When her vision cleared she couldn't believe her eyes, it was the same Daimond that she had just killed.

"How dare you kill my brother?" said the Daimond, anger flashing in his eyes.

_Brother_! That's right she forgot that. Back in Olympus there had been two of them.

He took off his helmet, and Abby saw that indeed this Daimond was the one with the blond hair. He let go of her hair and using his foot he pinned her to the ground. Abby tried to raise, but she couldn't, and she had no idea where her sword was.

The Daimond drew his sword, "We were ordered only to kill the son of Artemis, and not to harm you. But after what you did to my brother I don't care about that anymore. You're going to die now." He raised his sword and brought it down on her.

Unable to escape, all Abby could do was close her eyes and wait for the blow. But surprisingly it didn't come. Instead, she heard the sound of metal clashing with metal. Then the weight of the man lifted from her body. Slowly she opened her eyes, and thought that her mind was playing tricks on her, because what she saw she couldn't believe. Dante was standing next to her with his knives drawn and facing the Daimond.

(/)

Dante could hear voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Then he heard the sound of swords clashing with each other. _Someone was fighting._ Finally, everything around him went quiet for a moment, and then he heard a very familiar voice calling his name. He knew that voice...

_Abby_.

Dante opened his eyes and saw the night sky, and trees, and the clouds. There was the moon too, but it kept fading in and out, lost behind huge black thunderheads that swept in from nowhere to blot out the light. Maybe he was still dreaming...

"We were ordered to kill the son of Artemis and not to hurt you." a voice said.

_Kill the son of Artemis?_ _Kill me?_ _Who was saying that?_

"You're going to die now."

_Who is going to die?_

Turning his gaze to the right, he saw an image of someone raising a sword, but it wavered in and out like a weak ghost. Then reality set in, and the image became clear, he understood what was happening. Without a second thought, he moved, grabbing his knives from the ground, Dante barely made it in time to block the sword coming down on Abby's head.

The Greek armor guy that had been about to kill Abby look stunned to have his sword stopped by Dante. He stared at him with wide open eyes, and Dante used that opportunity to push him away from the fallen girl.

"You," the man said. "I thought you supposed to be dead."

"Yeah, so did I," said Dante, looking down at his chest, the arrow was still there. It hurt, but not the way an arrow would, more like if someone had punched him very hard. His hand went to the arrow and pulled it away. Reaching under his shirt, he drew out something shiny, and he couldn't believe it.

What he had in his hand was a silver necklace... an incredible the small medal had stopped the head of the arrow from piercing his chest. Dante examined the neat entry wound in the medal that went almost all the way through. He remembered leaving that exact necklace back at camp, so he had no idea how it got on him.

Then he recalled Artemis telling him that she had been helping him all along. _Well what do you know, she was telling the truth, _he thought_._ _Thank you Artemis. _

Then turning his attention back to the armored guy, Dante asked, "Hey, weren't you one of those guys that kicked us off Olympus a few days ago?"

"You remember," the man said. "I'm so flattered." He raised his sword at him. "Now do you remember that I told you, that you would regret it the next time we met."

"Ahh... no you said, that you would show me something to be scared off."

"It was implied," the man growled.

"Whatever," Dante shrugged, "Where's your twin at. You know the one that shot me with an arrow, unless it was you who did it."

"No, that was my brother and he's dead," he said bitterly. "Your little girlfriend there killed him."

Dante turned his gaze toward Abby behind him. She had a look in her eyes, like she had just seen a ghost or something. "Abby are you OK?" he asked her.

It took her a moment to find her voice. "Uh... yeah I'm fine. Dante that guy is not human, he's a Daimond. An immortal spirit of Olympus."

"Really that just great, because that means that I don't have to feel guilty about killing him now."

The Daimond snorted, his eyes keen. "So like a demigod to think that you're better than everyone else. But I assure you- that you won't be able to win against me that easy."

Dante gripped the hilt of his knives and took an offensive position. "Well only one way to find out."

Although his chest still ached where it had been hit by the arrow, he felt his strength returning. The moon blessed him with the power he needed to defeat all of his foes. He also noticed that for some reason he felt different, like if a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was bursting with confidence and he liked the feeling.

Eyes turning yellow, he charged at the Daimond.

Their blades clashed boldly in the moonlight. The intensity of the Daimond's attack staggered Dante, forcing him backwards. Sparks flew as tempered steel blades collided with preternatural force. The dueling swords exchanged deadly thrusts, and ripostes in a blur of motions.

As the battle went on, Dante began to have a suspicion about the Daimond. Parrying an angle cross from the Daimond's sword, he launched a counterattack that slammed against the older man's defense like a hammer striking an anvil. "Tell me was it you? The mortals in the cemetery. Did you and your brother help Ephialtes killed them?"

"Yeah, so what?" The Daimond declared without remorse. He smiled at Dante across their interlocked swords. "You have a problem with that?"

_Do I?,_ Dante thought. "Those people were innocent they had nothing to do with this." He slashed out at the Daimond with his knives. "Why did you have to kill them?"

"What else could we have done for them?" the Daimond said, swinging his sword at Dante's head, but the demigod ducked under the blow. "Let me tell you something about the Laistrygonians. They have really awful table manners. They like playing with their food. Those mortals were already broken by the time we got there. We did them a favor by putting them out of their misery."

The utter coldness of the Daimond's words fueled Dante's determination. The furious exchange of blows reached its climax as a powerful swipe knocked the Daimond's sword from his hand. The blade flew from the man's fingers- unarmed he lunged at Dante.

The sudden attack took Dante by surprise, and made him stumble back. That gave the Daimond enough time to summon a bow out of thin air and take aim at Dante.

An arrow leaped from the bow and whistled through the air, but Dante had had enough of being perforated by enemy arrows already. _Once was enough._ He dodged the arrow then two more bolts flew at him, only to be deflected by Dante's knives. The Daimond gaped in disbelief at Dante's lightning fast reflexes.

Snatching another arrow from his quiver he shot one more time at him. Letting go of one of his knives Dante snatched the quarrel from the air only inches away from his face. Flipping the captured missiles in his hand, he flung it back at the Daimond with all his strength. The bolt sank deep into the man's forehead. The Daimond's bow dropped to the ground a death-rattled gurgle from his throat, then he turned to mist and was gone for good.

Recovering his knife, Dante walked back toward Abby, who had remained watching everything from the sidelines. "Abby can't you move? We should get out of here before more guards come," he told her.

Slowly Abby got back on her feet and looked strangely at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You're really alive...I thought you were..."

"Don't worry I'm perfectly fine."

Relief flooded her face then suddenly she grabbed him in her arms and gave him a big hug.

"Ahh...OK," he said.

Pulling back she took his face in her hands and kissed him. This time he didn't say anything, and when she let go of him a wide smile spread over her face. "OK then, let's go." she said and began walking away.

Dante just stood there frozen, his eyes were glassy, and he wobbled for a moment. Then he remembered how to move his feet and began to follow her. Still trying to make sense of what just had happened.

_**To be continued... **_

[A/N] Well let me know what you guys think of this. Until next time. Seeya.


	25. Chapter 25

**Beta by Hidden Firecraker.**

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

**Secrets of the Moon**

**Chapter 25**

Just about eighty yards from the west side of the house, Cassidy and Nico huddled in the woods. The chill of the night clung to them as they squatted like oversized gnomes at the base of an oak. "Where could they be?" Cassidy asked, her face full of impatience. "They should be here already. Maybe its best if I go looking for them."

"Or maybe you should just relax and do what Dante said," Nico said, "and just stay put. We agreed to rendezvous on this side of the island, so they'll get here."

Cassidy said nothing, just scowled at him.

Nico's mouth curved into a smile. "Don't worry I doubt anything has happened to Dante."

"They must have heard the horn." Cassidy said, ignoring what Nico had said.

"Yeah and probably they ran into a little trouble of their own, too."

"They could have been captured."

"We don't know that, so let's just wait a little longer before we start jumping to conclusions."

Cassidy sighed heavily and settled in, "Fine," she said. Then she turned her attention to the house; it was a three story replica of a plantation mansion out of the old south. She had been plenty of times east of the Mississippi with Lady Artemis, so she recognized an antebellum mansion when she saw one.

"Wow... is getting cold," Nico mutter. "I wish we could light a fire or something."

"Yeah, do that and every monster on the island will know our location," she told him.

"I said, I wish we could, I didn't say I was gonna do it. I'm not stupid you know."

Then a familiar voice cut in, "Great to know that you two are getting along."

Cassidy swung around and saw that Dante was coming up a path in between some trees. Abby was walking along right beside him. Cassidy thought that the weird smile she had on her face was kind of inappropriate considering the circumstances they were in.

"What's up with you?" Cassidy asked her.

"Oh nothing," Abby said, "Its just that... Uh... Dante got shot by an arrow."

"Wait! What?" Cassidy said, quickly getting to her feet.

"You mean like you actually got hit by an arrow,?" Nico said also getting up.

Walking over to the base of the tree, Dante said, " Yeah but its no big deal. I'm fine." He was quick to fill them in on what had happened with the Daimonds. "And what else happened?...Oh yeah after that Abby kissed me."

Nico raised his eyebrows and Cassidy crossed them. Then they both turned to Abby.

"It wasn't really a kiss. It was more like a quick peck, " she said suddenly finding her boots very interesting then looking up again she snapped, "Anyway can we get back to business now?"

"Abby is right," said Dante. "What's the situation?"

Cassidy kept looking at Abby for a moment then she turned and pointed through the trees. "The house is bigger than we expected. There seems to be a lot of rooms in which Thalia could be kept, also for some reason there seems to be no guards outside or anything else protecting the house. But we must assume there must be traps inside waiting for us."

"I'll say that's probably true," Dante said. "I don't think they'll just let us walk in there unless they want us to."

Dante took a long look at the house. The three story mansion made quite the intimidating adversary; a metal fence surrounded the house, there were at least five windows on each floor on each side of the house.

"Wait a sec," Dante said. "This house...it can't be."

Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Dante and asked," What is it?Did you noticed something we don't?"

He looked at her, then turned back to the house. "Its just that... never mind its nothing. Look we could use the windows to get in from the sides. I think its our best shot."

Cassidy sense that there was something Dante wasn't telling her, but time was short and they need it to get moving, "OK then, let's start getting ready for it."

As they began to make a plan to take the house Nico walked next to Abby and said, "You know I got shot with an arrow too." He showed her where the arrow had cut a crease in his shirt and his side, a bit of nectar had stopped the bleeding, then he looked at her.

Abby smile, then she smacked him on the back of the head, "Not gonna happen."

"Ow," said Nico rubbing the back of his head. "I was just letting you know."

"OK, everyone ready," Dante said. "Let's move."

(/)

The group separated as they approached the house. The plan was to get in from different directions. Dante had assigned Cassidy to go in from the west side, Abby went around to the east side, and Nico was going to try to get in from the back. Once inside each will check every room for Thalia and meet back at the front door before moving to the next floor.

Dante had chosen to go through the front, mostly because there was something about the house he needed to make sure of after a few minutes he reached the edge of a lawn, or at least what was left of one. Now it was more like a clearing well on its way to be overgrown with weeds and small trees. If no one decided to do something about it, most likely someday it would just become another part of the forest. He reached a driveway that had been pitted and cracked by the sun, and the edges were dissolving as grass and weeds claimed a small part of it every year.

Dante followed the drive all the way up to the ornate iron gate; it looked like the years had etched its pattern in a coating of rust that the light of the moon made it look like dry blood. An oversized family letter, _C_, was atop of the gate and right below it was a padlock that kept the gate shut. Using the blade of one of his knives Dante picked the lock, it was old, so it gave easily.

Dante followed the inner driveway to the double doors beneath the wide portico. That's when he was able to confirm his suspicions. The house was the same one he kept visiting in his dreams, a little older and neglected, but it was the same none the less. _What was the meaning of this?_ _Why was he drawn to this place?_ He couldn't understand what was going on.

The doors were weathered and cracking, just like the driveway, he reached for the doorknob and turned. Surprisingly the doors swung open on grunting hedges, and he stepped into the oversized foyer. The tile was in dusty black and white and seemed as if no one had been in there for many years. Dante moved through the foyer and was about to go up the stairs when a sound coming from the side caught his attention. Following the sound he walked into the living room where a large man was waiting for him.

"Finally, you came. I was getting tired of waiting for you," said Ephialtes.

(/)

Ephialtes looked exactly like he did before: black eyes, dressed in black leather, and way bigger than an elephant. In his right hand was a huge spear that could be easily used as a harpoon to kill whales with. Aside from its sizes the only other thing that worried Dante the most was how filthy the thing looked. He couldn't recall if he had ever gotten a tetanus shot before.

"Sorry for being late to the party, but I was kind of busy taking care of your flunkies in the forest," Dante said stepping forward into the vast living room.

The meager furnishings that remained were sheet-covered and pressed up against the wall, giving the two combatants plenty of room to maneuver on the hardwood floor.

"I knew those two idiots would be useless in the end," Ephialtes eyed him thoughtfully, his hideous face inscrutable. Then his voice took on a softer tone, "Anyway I hope they still didn't tire you too much and that at least you would give me a proper fight this time."

"Don't worry, I've gotten stronger since the last time," Dante said. Then in a split second he charged and slashed at him viciously with his knives, but Ephialtes despite his size was too fast and met the strokes with his spear.

"Is that's it? That's all you got? Please, those little butter knives are not strong enough. You wanna know why?" he said scornfully, " because you are not strong enough." Before Dante could think of a retort his knives were gone, knocked out of his hands and spinning across the dark floor.

_Damn_, he thought finding himself suddenly without any weapons.

Ephialtes grinned at him evilly. "You see what I mean?" Then using his spear like a club, Ephialtes sent Dante flying across the room into a wall.

Dante slammed viciously against it, then fell painfully down to the floor. The impact took the wind out of him, leaving his chest void of any capacity to hold oxygen for a moment.

"Ohh... the little worm wants to take a 5-minute break already." Ephialtes said mockingly. Then he placed his hand atop of his chest, "Or dose he want to go crying to mommy, and have her kiss the boo boo to make it better. You little momma's boy."

Ephialtes stood in the center of the room, waiting for him to get up with a smile on his face. Dante threw off the wall material covering him and rose. He scanned the room for his knives and spotted them in one of the corners. He was tempted to try and reach for them, but the truth was they wouldn't be much help against Ephialtes. At best they'll suffer the same fate as his mother Galetri's knife. Seeing no other option, he brought up his hands and turned them into fists.

Ephialtes regarded him with his small black eyes, "You must be out of your mind worm. You want to fight me with your bare hands."

Dante gestured at him with as much bravado as he could master. "What's the matter? Afraid you can't take me without weapons."

The taunt worked, Ephialtes threw his spear to the side and said, "Fine, if that's the way you want it, its OK by me. It may actually be more fun this way."

Dante and Ephialtes circled around the living room, then they both went for it. Dante knew that he would be the faster one, but Ephialtes had the real power, one look at his arms was a clear indicator of how much damage he could do if he connected. He could take Dante out with only a couple of punches, especially if he landed one on his face. Although, Dante was smart enough to not try to go the boxing route with him if he could help it. He recall his training days with his mother Galetri and what she had taught him about fighting opponents bigger than him. _She said that balance was always a key factor in a situation like that_. So, he went in low and light on his feet, and as Ephialtes throw a right hook, he ducked under it. Dropping onto his right hip, Dante swept Ephialtes' legs from under him.

Ephialtes went down with a grunt and Dante could have sworn he heard the thick wood floor cracked beneath him. Dante waited for him to get back on his feet, going to the ground with Ephialtes wasn't an option. No one short of _King_ _Kong_ could put a choke hold on Ephialtes' massive neck. Keeping his distance was the smart way to go.

Ephialtes rolled to his side and got himself up, eying Dante with high levels of contempt. Wasting no more time, Dante went for it again. Ephialtes hunkered down a little more and bent his his knees, getting ready for the attack. Dante took him entirely by surprise when instead of repeating the previous take down, he went after Ephialtes as if he was the bowling ball and him the pin.

And to Ephialtes' surprise he found himself on the floor a second time. "You know that's staring to annoy me," he said struggling to get himself up this time.

Dante went for it a third time, but this time his attempt at take down proved to be a serious miscalculation from his part. He tried to sweep Ephialtes' legs again, but the giant was firmly planted on the floor like a hundred year oak tree, he didn't go down.

Realizing his mistake Dante tried to back away, but the giant man swung at him and just barely grazed Dante on the side of the head, even so it was enough to send him sprawling. Grinning madly, Ephialtes advanced at him. Grabbing the scruff of his neck with one hand and the back of his belt with the other, Ephialtes picked up Dante and spun him around, then with no more effort that what would take for someone to throw a jacket into a chair, the big man threw him at an unopened window.

Breaking the glass Dante flew over the hedge and into the yard, where he hit with a thud and rolled a couple of times, then stopped into a sprawl.

"Oww... that hurt," he said to himself. Blood dripping from several small cuts, Dante got up and dusted himself off. Standing at the window Ephialtes grinned at him. "Oh yeah, well I'll have you know I have already been thrown outta better place than this. Olympus for example."

Standing in the frame of the broken window like an ugly portrait, Ephialtes kept grinning at him and said, "Well I suppose you will always be welcome here. After all, from what I understand this place is technically your..." He didn't get a chance to finish whatever he was going to say, because Dante chose that moment to launch himself back through the window, taking Ephialtes down with another surprise sweep to his legs.

Ephialtes growled in frustration, which was understandable considering that a guy that weighed as much as he didn't fall lightly, and he didn't get back up that way either. Struggling to get himself upright Ephilates howled , "You better stop doing that."

Then with a psychotic look on his face, Ephialtes reached out for him and started to take a step forward, but Dante dropped into a roll and launched at him, burying a fist into his crotch. Surprised by the intensity of the sensation Ephialtes bent down.

"Well what do you know," Dante said, with a little grin, " it looks like there's no power in the universe that can actually make _that_ _part_ invulnerable to pain after all."

With his eyes bulging and watering Ephialtes blurted out, " That's ... cheating."

Normally, Dante would have agreed with that, but the way he saw it was that when your opponent has invulnerability on his side, you must use any method you can think of to level the playing field, even if it means fighting dirty.

Straining himself up and taking slow deep breaths, Ephilates looked at him with murder in his eyes. "That's it I'm done playing games with you. I don't care what that witch said or what she needs you for, I'm gonna kill you now."

Looking more serene than he felt, Dante gestured with a little "Come here" curl of his fingers, and smile, "Really then why don't you stop talking and come here and do it. Because, I'm starting to think that you're all bark and no bite."

As expected, Ephialtes moved toward him. Dante ended up on the defensive, throwing punches and kicks that did nothing to affect Ephialtes as he was forcing Dante to back away.

Finally, Dante's back was against the glass of a window, and with nowhere else to go Ephialtes charged toward him. At the last moment, Dante was able to sidestep him and the giant man blasted through the window taking most of the frame and wall with him into the yard.

Dante could use that opportunity to attack, but what was the point? Nothing he could do would hurt Ephialtes, and he would just keep coming after him. One way or another Dante had to think of something to end it. Then he remembered the story of how Artemis defeated the Aloadae. _She got them to pierce themselves with their own spears._ Dante looked around the living room and saw Ephialtes' massive spear laying on the floor.

Then an idea hit him.

Ephialtes stepped through shattered glass and back into the living room, looking around for Dante. He found him on the other side of the room waiting for him with a smile on his face.

"Oh man," Dante said, "I forgot to yell "_OLE_" as you passed by."

Consumed by rage, Ephialtes roared toward him. Dante didn't bother trying to avoid him, instead he waited until the very last second and then he dropped. Suddenly Ephialtes stopped dead in his tracks and his face changed as if he just realized something wasn't right. Coughing he frowned and looked down and saw the head of a very familiar giant spear impale in his chest. On the other side, holding the spear, Dante looked triumphantly at him.

The spear had been way too heavy for Dante to throw properly, but luckily having your enemies run full speed straight at it had the same desired effect on them.

"You, but how?" Ephialtes blurted out. "No! A worm like you can't kill me."

"Sure about that? Because I think I just did," said Dante burring the spear even deeper. "That's for kidnapping Thalia," he pushed even deeper, " that's for the people you killed in the cemetery," he gave it one last push, " and that's for calling me a momma's boy.."

Ephialtes eyes had gone wide with fear and he desperately tried to take the spear out, but it was far too late because then...

_BOOM! _

A great explosion shook the entire mansion. Then finally, when the gold dust settled, Ephialtes was no more. Dante dropped the spear and without giving its fallen master another thought he left the living room and went into the hall to begin his search for Thalia.

_**To be continued... **_

[A/N]Well there it is. I hope you'll like this chapter let me know what you think. Well until next time. Seeya.


	26. Chapter 26

I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associated with it.

[A/N] Well here is the next chapter, sorry for taking so long. Hope you enjoy it.

There is a character in this chapter that speaks with three different voices. All voices are written differently to help know which voice is been use.

Adult voice is normal.

_Child is in italics._

**Old woman is in bold.**

**Secrets of the Moon**

**Ch. 26**

Now that Ephialtes was dead, Dante moved back into the foyer. Abby was already there waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. "You OK?" he asked her.

Abby shrugged, "Yeah, no problems on my end. What about you? What was that explosion I just heard?"

"Oh that was Ephialtes saying goodbye. We won't be seeing him anymore. Any signs of Thalia anywhere on the east side of the house?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope! She wasn't on any of the rooms I checked. Maybe one of the others had more luck."

"Speaking of the others, where is Cassidy and Nico? They should be here already." Dante said, "Look, you go check for Cassidy, and I'll go look for Nico."

Abby nodded and they each took off in the direction from which they'd come from, Dante went toward the back to the kitchen, and Abby to the other side of the house to look for Cassidy, both moving away from the living room.

A few minutes later they both returned to the bottom of the staircase. "Well anything?" Dante asked.

"What?...Ohh... no I couldn't find Cassidy anywhere," Abby said, "And what about you, find... _Nico_?"

"No, there was no sign of him in the kitchen or anywhere else either. Where could they be?"

They didn't get a chance to wonder about it as four more Dracanaes appeared and started shooting arrows at them from the floor above. Both Dante and Abby were quick to dive into the dinning room, but that sanctuary wouldn't last long. Already the snake womens where thundering down the stairs. The dinning room had a long table that was covered with two sheets and a dozen sheeted chairs. At the other end of the room was the door they had used, and on the back was another door that lead to the kitchen.

They were quick to put a plan together in no time, then the demigods set it into action.

Abby moved to the back, while Dante flattened himself against the wall, next to one of the doors. When the first of the Dracanaes came in Dante jerked her bow out of her hands and pulled her to him. A second Dracanae fired an arrow at him, and Dante used the first Dracanae as a shield.

Abby had slipped out the door at the back of the dinning room, and came up the hall from the kitchen.

With Dante on one side and Abby on the other, they had no problem dealing with the remaining Dracanaes.

With in seconds all of the snake women were gone.

"Well that's that," Abby said.

"Yeah," Dante replied, then he narrowed his eyes at her. "Ahh...Abby are you sure that you're OK?"

"Yeah, why you ask?"

"Well is just that..." Dante hesitated to try to explain the strange feeling he was starting to get from her. "... I don't know you just... don't look like you always do."

Abby put her hands on her hips, "Oh well sorry for not looking my best, but I been fighting monsters all night long and F.Y.I. you're not looking so fresh either." She took a deep breath and said, " C'mon we should move to floors above maybe Cassidy and Nico are already up there."

"OK," Dante said still not able to shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right with her, but there wasn't time to figure out what it was.

They both fell into a line and went up the stairs, their eyes looking everywhere for Nico and Cassidy as well for more enemies.

There were eight bedroom on the second floor and Dante supposed that there was an equal number on the third floor, though they didn't went up there. Not wasting time checking every room they went straight for the last one. It was the exact same room Dante always went for in his dreams. Dante led the way and Abby was right behind him. As he stood on front of the black door, he remembered that in his dream whenever he open the door a monster attack him. Preparing his knives, he opened the door and stepped into the room.

(/)

Ever since Dante started having dreams about the mansion he had always been very curious about what was behind the black door of that room. Now that he was finally able to go through the door, it wasn't what he had expected. The room was illuminated only by a dim light coming from a lantern on a table to his right.

In front of him, right in the center of the room was black leather chair. The person sitting in it wasn't much taller than his mother Galetri. Stepping forward he could see the details on the woman's black dress and veil.

He recognized her as the woman that he had seen in one of his dreams freeing Ephialtes from his cage.

As the woman regarded him through her dark veil a chill sweep over him.

Then speaking with an old voice the woman said, "**Well hello Dante we have been waiting for you. It was very rude from your part to kept us waiting this long." **

Dante's voice was frigid. "Where is Thalia and what have you done with the rest of my friends?"

"There's no need for you to worry about the daughter of Zeus, she is being well looked after by my other children," the woman answered in a much younger voice. " And about your other friends, well lets see. One hunter of Artemis."

A second later from another door on the side of the room two teenage girls walked through. They both had long black hair and seemed to be in her late teens, and they both were hauling an unconscious Cassidy by the arms.

_"Oh there she is_," the woman said in a voice that sounded it like a child. " _Now what about the son of Hades?" _

A third girl stepped into the room dragging Nico behind her; he wasn't bound or anything, but he seemed weak, even groggy for some reason. "One son of Hades present and accounted for mother," said the girl, who look very similar to the first two. " And I have to say he was very delicious," the girl added passing her tongue over her lips and a pair of... _fangs_."

_Yes fangs_, the girl had fans, all three of them did. Like if they were vampires, but that couldn't be, as far as Dante knew vampires didn't exist. _So who or what were they?_

**"Good job Melanie dear," **the woman said to the girl, then she turned to Dante. "There you have it, all of your friends are perfectly fine, well mostly."

"Let them go," Dante took a menacing step forward. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" He took another step and a blade reveal itself from behind him and settled against his neck.

"Not another step," Abby told him.

Dante froze. "Abby... what are you doing?"

Abby voice grew sharp. "What dose it look like I'm doing? Drop the knives. Do it now."

Dante felt the blade of her sword press deeper into his neck, breaking the skin. Seeing no other option, he complied and drop his weapons.

In her childish voice, the veil woman said, " _Good! good! That's the way to do it dear. You made your mothers very proud." _

_Mother!_ Then everything click into place. Dante let out a bitter laugh. "You're Abby's mom. You're Hecate."

"Yes, that correct. That exactly who we are."

"OK, that answered one of my questions," Dante said still trying to process what was happening, "Now tell me why are you doing this?"

With her adult voice, Hecate's word dripped venomous contempt, "Because your mother took away something very precious to us and we want it back. And you Dante are going to help us get it back."

"What do you mean? Get what back?" Dante asked.

Even though, he couldn't see her face because of the veil Dante was sure the Hecate was smiling at him."Didn't your mother told you anything at all."

"Tell me what?"

The goddess laugh had a bit of hysteria in it._ "Oh!Oh! We see, we see. This makes it more interesting. Well don't worry about it Dante you'll understand everything very soon."_

She gestured with her head to the girl name Melanie; who step forward, her face less than a foot away from Dante's. "You have grown a lot since the last time I saw you," she said. "Almost makes me glad that woman stop me from eating you back then."

Dante had no idea what she was talking about.

"Unlike our other sister you have no problem with me doing this right, _Eli_?" Melanie said to Abby who was still standing behind Dante.

_Eli?_ Then another revelation hit Dante like a bus.

Looking over his shoulder he said to the girl behind him, "You're not Abby are you? You're Elizabeth. Abby's sister. _Twin_ sister, right?"

She smiled at him and said, "Took you long enough. You're right I'm not Abby. She's always been too nice for her own good. I knew she wouldn't be able to go through with this so I had to take her place. Don't worry she is OK, she's sleeping peacefully downstairs."

"I see," Dante said, "But I thought you were supposed to be dead Elizabeth."

"Yeah, you and lots of others thought so too. Even Lady Artemis fell for it. Who would it thought that a simple trick with smoke and mirrors would be enough to fool a goddess."

"Umm... excuse me," said Melanie impatiently. "Do you mind if we move this along now? Seriously I been waiting to this for years now."

"Oh sorry. Go ahead." said Elizabeth. "Will talk some more later Dante, maybe."

Dante turned his attention back to Melanie; who before he could even react planted her mouth on Dante and kissed him. Dante went woozy instantly and tried ineffectively to push the girl away, but all of his strength was living him quickly.

After several seconds, Melanie pushed away and looked derisively at Dante as his head lolled. "Umm... Delicious. Totally worth the wait." She sneered, "Sweet dreams now."

Letting go of Dante he collapsed to floor completely unconscious.

**_To be continued..._**

_[A/N] Well first let me apologize for all the errors in this chapter. My beta is busy and hasn't got around to look at it yet. Anyway I promise that I will post the revise version a soon as I can. So be patient Ok._

_Well that's all for now, but I'll let you know that the answers to some of your questions: Like how was Dante born? and Who was his father? Will be finally reveal in the next chapter so until then Seeya.. _


	27. Chapter 27

I do not own Percy Jackson or any thing associated with it.

**Secrets of the Moon**

**Ch. 27**

Nico woke to find himself chained to a wall. The sound of rats' chittering in the corners and a blazing braziers failed to dispel the frigid atmosphere of what was unmistakably a dungeon. Nico tried to reach up and massage his neck, but was halted by the shackles around his wrists. _How long had he been out_? He had no idea. _Was it day or night?_ No clue. All he knew for sure was that he was hungry and thirsty and that every part of his body felt sore and heavy. He was just complete exhausted.

"Nico, are you finally up?"

He looked up from the floor to see Thalia chained to the wall only a few yards away from him. Her hunting clothes were dirty, and iron shackles held her fast. Her electric blue eyes were clearly visible in the darkness. "Finally, you been unconscious for hours," she said. "For a moment I thought you were actually dead."

"Thalia! What happened?" Nico asked. He tugged uselessly against the unyielding chains. "Where are we?"

"We are in a dungeon under the house," another girl's voice emerges from the shadows. "They brought us here after we got capture."

Ignoring his sore neck, Nico turned his head to the side, and saw Cassidy chained to the wall in the other side of the dungeon. "They knew our entire plan. We all walk strait into an ambush." Cassidy said. "Someone betrayed us."

"It wasn't me," Nico said defensively.

Cassidy glanced to one side. "I know it wasn't you. It was Abby who did it. I warned Dante about her."

"Abby!" Nico said, realizing that, in fact, other than them three there was no one else in the dungeon. Dante and Abby were missing.

"It wasn't just her," said Thalia. She turned her head towards Cassidy. "Cass, Elizabeth is… she's alive. She's in all of this."

"What?" Cassidy stiffened in shock. "Thalia, that can't be possible. She's dead. We all saw her get killed by hellhounds remember."

"It was all a trick, I seen her, I have talked to her too. I didn't want to believe it either, at first, but she told me herself. How she dope all of us with some potion she made. It made us see what she want us to see. It was all an illusion in our heads, nothing more."

"I can't believe it," Cassidy said staring down at the stone floor. "How could she do that to us? Her sisters… and to Lady Artemis. She tricked her too."

The two girls remained quiet after that, staring down at the same spot in the floor, as if waiting to see the answers to their questions written in the stone. Nico understood that been betrayed by one of their own was a really big deal for both of them, so he remained quiet and let them have their moment. After a little while, the uncomfortable silence started to get to him, and since neither girl seem to want to talk first, he did it. "Ok, look I know you girls can't handle betrayal very well, and this is worse because it came from one of your own. But right now we have bigger problems than that, so both of you snap out of it."

Both hunters glared at him.

Nico swallowed hard. "Umm… I'm just saying we should focus on getting out of here and finding Dante. I mean who knows what they're doing to him right now."

"Dante!" Cassidy exclaimed. "That's right we must find him. Where could they have taken him?"

"Don't know," Thalia said. "But we must do something quick. When I talked to Elizabeth, she did say something to me about a sacrifice they need it for a ritual of some type."

"Ritual? And did you just say sacrifice?" Cassidy said in an alarmed tone.

"Oh boy! That doesn't sound good," said Nico.

Thalia shook her head. "No it doesn't. So we must think of something fast we're running out of time here."

Cassidy twisted within her bonds and tried to free herself. "Come on you stupid chains break. Break."

Nico tried to free himself too, but the heavy chains snapped taut, holding him back. He strained with all his might, but no success. All he could do in that moment was hope for some miracle that would allow them to save his friend.

(/)

Abby came back to herself slowly. She was laying on something soft, a bed. Someone was humming a song nearby, the low sound make her reminiscent of her childhood. And in the background she felt a familiar feeling teasing her consciousness, so she opened her eyes. She sat up right and find herself in a strange room. Curtains hung around the wooden canopy bed she was on. Feather mattress and pillows made the bed looked way more luxurious than her bunk at camp. Looking around, she gazed into the polished glass of a mirror above a vanity, and stared at her own reflection.

_How she gotten there? _

The last thing she remembered was separating from Dante to go look for Nico, and then she knew nothing more. _Where was Dante? Where was everyone at?_ Though the room was quite warm, Abby still feel a sudden chill on her skin. "What the…? What's going on here?" She could hear the humming again, and now that she was awake enough she located the sound, it was coming from a bathroom on her right. A girl in a white bathrobe came out of it a second later, humming a song she was listening on an IPod. It was Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth notice Abby sitting on the bed, she bit her lip to hold back a gasp of shock. "Abby!" she said. "You're awake but you shouldn't be… not until tomorrow…" Before she could say one more word Abby had ran from the bed and enveloped her in a hug.

"Is you… is really you. You're alive… You're really alive." Abby was babbling to herself as much as her. "Eli, how are-?" Abby began, but Elizabeth pressed her finger to her lips.

"Abby calm down. Look you shouldn't be up, so why don't you go back to bed and rest some more Ok. I promise you, I'll explain everything tomorrow."

Abby shook her head. "No I want to know what is going on here. First the hunters tell me you're dead and then I started to get the messages and… I didn't know if they were real or not and…"

Once again Elizabeth quiet her down. She must have seen the horror on Abby's face, because she immediately tried to reassure her. "Sis, I know Ok. You have a lot of questions, and you deserve answers and believe me you're gonna get them. But I think you had enough for one night, so we should just go back to bed and we'll talk things tomorrow over breakfast."

"No, I want to know everything right now. You own me at least that much after everything you put me through. So start talking. Why did you fake your dead?"

"Fine," Elizabeth said, walking over and sitting on the bed. "I fake my death because mom told me to."

Abby's eyes widened. "Mom told you to? Why would she-?"

"Because it was the only way for me to get out of the hunters without raising suspicions. You know how the only two ways to leave the hunters is by either breaking your oaths or dying. And well I choose death. Far less complicated."

"Abby you got to believe me," Elizabeth continue, "I never want it to hurt you. But no one could know I was alive. Not until everything was over."

Her words caused a cold feeling inside Abby. She clenched her teeth in order not to start screaming at her. "But I'm your sister, did you have any idea how I felt thinking you were dead," she said, "You should have told me, I would have kept it a secret. You know I would."

"I know that but, mom she made me promise I wouldn't."

She was clearly grieving an as mad as Abby was with her sister she couldn't help to hug her and try to comfort her. "I'm really sorry Abby…for everything…" Elizabeth eyes softened and began turning kind of misty. "I missed you so much, sis."

Abby nodded. "Yeah, me too. I'm so happy you're alive." They both stay holding each other for a long while before Abby finally spoke. "Eli, as much as I'm enjoying having you back, I need you to finish telling me everything. Why are you here? And most importantly why were you working with Ephialtes?"

Elizabeth stood up from the bed and began pacing nervously back and forth. Abby knew that Elizabeth only did that whenever she was about to tell her something she wasn't gonna like. For example, "Abby, I borrowed one of your shirts and accidently spilled something on it," or "Abby, I'm going to fight these girls after school and I need you to back me up." Or Abby's favorite one, "Abby, we need to go now because I stole a cop car and they're coming to get back." But somehow Abby knew this was going to be a lot worse.

"Ok first of all, I was not working with Ephialtes," Elizabeth began, "I'm working with mom, you know helping her."

"Helping her? With what?" Abby asked.

"To get back at Artemis. You know she has done a lot of awful things to our mother. She stole her title, her throne, and finally her children. And I'm just helping her get some of those things back from her. That's why I joined the hunters in the first place. Mom want it me to get some information from Artemis. Information that only a hunter had the best chance of finding out."

"What type of information?"

"About Dante of course. Mother has been looking for him for years now, but Artemis has kept him well hidden. Mom need it to know if he was alive or if Artemis had killed him. It was hard, normally Artemis doesn't keep that many secrets from her hunters, but the ones she does, she guards them very carefully. But I manage to find out about him eventually. Told mom and she came up with all of this in order to get to him."

Abby stared at her for a moment and then took a deep breath. "So mom knew about Dante all along, huh. But why is she so interested on him?"

Elizabeth tilted her head and studied her. "Well like I said mom wants payback. Artemis took one of her children away, so I'm guessing she's going to take hers now."

For a moment, Abby was absolutely speechless, "You mean she's going to kill Dante?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Not kill. She said something about using Dante to get our brother back or something like that. She needs him alive for the ritual, otherwise it won't work."

"What ritual?" Abby asked, trying to make sense of what was happening. "You know what, never mind that. Just tell me where Dante is?"

"Oh… he's in the backyard right now. Mom's there as well over seeing the preparation for the ceremony herself."

Abby blinked, a little, no a lot surprised. "You mean she's actually here in person? In this place?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah she didn't trust anyone to conduct the ceremony properly, so she is going to do it herself. By the way, you know how when we were little we tried to imagine what she would be like. Well trust me, we weren't even close. I mean don't get me wrong, she is our mom, and I loved her, but just between us I find her a bit odd."

After been told that her mother was close by, Abby had stopped listening to Elizabeth completely. She was trying to processes her words slowly trying to guess, judge, analyze if Elizabeth was lying to her. In the end, she came to the conclusion that everything she had said was anything but the truth. In other circumstances, she would have been excited to finally meet her mother, but in that moment all she could think about was making her free Dante. A mother and daughter moment would have to wait until next time. She moved toward the door, but Elizabeth was quick to get in front of her and blocked the way.

"Sorry Abby," Elizabeth said. "But mom gave orders for you not to leave this room. Not until tomorrow at least."

Abby looked at her in surprise, and then said. "Eli move I have to go. This ritual…ceremony… or whatever is wrong and you know it. So move I got to save Dante."

"I can't do that Abby," Elizabeth replied, then she gave a deep sighed. "You see, this is why you were told to stay at camp. I don't get it, why did you come in the quest for? Your job was done all you need it to do was wait for the message telling you where we could meet. So why?"

Abby looked straight at her, and their eyes met an understanding pass between them.

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "Dante! Seriously Abby? You went through all of this for a boy you just met," she grumbled. "Now that just…" Her voice trailed off as if she was studying Abby's face, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"We are just friends, Ok, that's all," Abby reported.

"Wow, I almost believed that," Elizabeth said. "Come on Abby, you're smarter than this. Men ain't worth it, and they can't be trusted. That's something Artemis and her hunters got right. Men will always let you down in the end. I mean look at dad, you need a better example."

"Dante is not like that," Abby snapped.

"Really, you think he's going to keep being your _friend_ when he finds out all the things you have done." Elizabeth said, then ignoring the angry look on Abby's face she continued, "Are you going to tell him that it was you who opened a hole in the camp barrier, so that an army of monsters could invade. Or that it was you who knock Thalia out and hand her over to the giants…"

"I didn't… I … I was angry at her," Abby said, a lump rose in her throat. "The message, it said that she was responsible for your death. I just want her to pay…but I regret afterwards."

"And the cemetery, what about that, huh? You send the warning to Ephialtes about what Dante was planning to do. And well you know what happened. All of those innocent mortals."

Abby stepped back and rested her head against one of the walls. "I didn't know those people where there. I just didn't want Thalia to tell Dante what I had done. But I had no idea that Ephialtes was…"

Her words were cut off as Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her. "I know sis, you never meant for that to happen. But I'm sure Dante won't see it that way. He's going to hate for it, you do know that right?"

Abby pulled gently away. She felt strange and miserable and alone. Elizabeth was right Dante was gonna hate her for all the horrible things she had done. How could she hope he would ever forgive her, when she couldn't even forgive herself.

"Oh Abby, don't torture yourself over this. I know is hard, but you should just forget about it," Elizabeth suggested, taking Abby in her arms again. "Forget everything and just focus on the good that came out of this. Like us been together again, just like the old days. We don't need anyone else Abby, only each other. No matter what I would never turn against you Abby, and I know you would never turn against me, right?"

"Of course not. You're my sister." Abby murmured, unsure of why saying those words felt so depressing.

Elizabeth blinked and then laughed very suddenly. "Good that's what I need to hear," she grabbed Abby's hand and start leading her toward the bathroom. "Now, what I think you need right now is a hot bath. Trust me you could use one, and I'm sure you'll be feeling a lot better. I'll have some of the Empousais bring us food. I know, we could have our very own slumber party, just the two of us. How does that sound, huh?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Abby bowed her head and closed her eyes for a moment, admitting that maybe Elizabeth had proposed the right idea. Forgetting everything that had happened the last few days didn't seem like such a bad option, especially not now.

**_To be continued..._**

[A/N] Hey guys I'm finally back. Sorry it took so long this time to updated, but you know stuff at school, finals, and all that kept me pretty busy. Anyway I hope you all like this chapter, please let me know what you think of it. My beta is still unavailable so sorry for all the mistakes. I'll do my best to fix them later. Well that's it for now until next time. See ya.


	28. Chapter 28

[A/N} I do not own Percy Jackson or anything associate with it.

Hecate speaks using three voices.

Adult voice is normal

_Child is in Italics_

**Old woman is in bold**

**Secrets of the Moon**

**Ch.** **28**

Chains tugged on his wrist, an at first, Dante thought that he might be having some sort of nightmare. Then his head cleared, and he realized that he was not dreaming, but indeed he was manacled to something.

_What the... Where am I?_ he thought groggily.

The last thing he remembered was receiving a kiss from some girl that had red eyes and fangs. Now he found himself arms stretch out and chained in between two stone pillars, lacking his shirt and his knives that ordinary were strap to his belt. He looked around and found himself in a middle of vast courtyard surrounded by dozen dusty brown skulls impale on spears.

It took him a second too recognized where he was. _I'm behind the mansion that Ephialtes was using as a hideout, and the place where I was caught._

A figure stood in front of him a few yards away, with its back turned to Dante. A black wedding dress shielded the figure from the neck down. A dark veil covered the stranger's head. But that had been enough to tell Dante who he was looking at.

_She is Abby's mom_, Dante remembered.

He yanked on his manacles, but the chains refused to budge. _Perhaps if, I only had more power?_ Looking up to the night sky, he found the moon, and although he felt a new surge of energy, still it was no good. Clearly the chains were designed with demigod strength in mind; ordinary chains would have budged by now.

The rattle of the chains attracted the attention of the goddess of magic. _"Ahh! Awake are we?"_ Dante associated the sound of her voice to that of a child, which he fined disturbing. _"It's about time. We were getting worried that Melanie might have suck too much of your life force away."_

The goddess began taking steps toward him.

"Hecate!" Dante said.

_"Hello again, Dante,"_ she said, although he couldn't see her face, Dante was sure there was an evil grin behind her veil. "Sorry for the chains, **but we can't have you trying to run away**, _can we now?"_

For a second, Dante was stunned by her unexpected change of her voice. Great he was in the hands of a goddess with a multiple personally disorder. "Where are my friends? What have you done with them?"

"Their doing find, for now."

"I see," Dante frowned. "So what now, huh? I think if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now. So why don't you stop beating around the bush and tell me exactly what do you want from me."

"Uhh... we see that you do take after your mother after all," Hecate retored. **"Speaking of her, thank you, we wouldn't have been able to get her out of the game without you." **

"What do you mean by that?"

_"Well you see Dante; you were the one we wanted from the very beginning_. However, we just couldn't take you from the camp, if we had, no doubt mommy would have come down here herself to get you back." She shrugged beneath her veil. **"Fortunately, the daughter of Zeus was there, and she happens to be the hunters' lieutenant too. And by taking her hostage we knew you would come to save her, and to do that you would have to receive a quest.** _Once that was done, Artemis was force to stay in the sidelines just watching. Gods aren't allowed to interfere in a quest no matter what, especially when is their child's' quest. _Do you get it now?"

"Wow... I have to say, that was very clever, "Dante conceded."Now what? You're planning on asking for bigger ransom for all us. The gods are not going to pay, we tried them already."

"No, the ransom was Ephialtes idea. He wanted to rebuild his tower and needed the funding. _We have something else in mind for you though, as a matter fact we should probably get start it_." Hecate stepped backwards then turned about, and clap her hands three times. "Ok girls, positions. Is show time."

Suddenly, the skulls burst into flames all around him, and the entire courtyard was illuminated by their light. About a dozen cloaked figures, Dante hadn't even notice, were kneeling down in between the torches. _"Ok now don't be nervous now, this is when all those dance lessons pay off."_ Hecate said in her childlish voice. "Now we know is tradition to say, _break a leg_, before a performance, but we preferred if you girls don't break anything. **Those bronze legs of yours are getting quite expensive to replace. So just be careful**."

Then raising one of her hand, Hecate said loudly, _"Let's get started. Music please."_ At her cue, classical music began to play. Where was it coming from exactly Dante had no idea.

As the music started the cloaked figures slowly stood up, and gently removed their cloaks, revealing all to be teenage girls wearing black tutus. Among them was the girl that had kissed him earlier.

The girls raise their arms above their heads and began to twirl around on the tips of their toes. Then they began to move their bodies in synchronized matter to the sound of the music. They jump, twirl, jump, and twirl some more.

_Oh, hell no! Ballet! She's going to torture me to death_, Dante thought as he desperately tried to free himself from his chains.

"**Shhh! Young man please, quit that. Don't you know is rude to make noise while the dancers are performing,"** said Hecate. "Those are our daughters out there, so show some respect."

After what to him felt like an eternity watching the girls dance, Dante began to feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Not wanting to put the effort to stay awake, he welcome the sweet escape of sleep.

(/)

Dante was standing in front of the mansion once again. _Oh! Not this dream again,_ he thought. He knew it was a dream, due to the fact, that the mansion look to be in perfect condition, which it no longer did in real life. Why couldn't he just go back to his normal eating steak dreams again?

_But fine might as well get it over with it. _

He was about to start walking toward the mansion, when suddenly he felt someone standing behind him. He turned around, and fined himself staring straight at a familiar young girl with auburn hair and silver-yellow eyes.

_Artemis. _

"Mo... I mean Artemis? What are you doing here...?"

If the small goddess heard his question, she didn't show it. Her eyes were focused entirely on the mansion and its surroundings, as if she were assessing the situation.

"Did you bring me here?" he asked her. "Don't tell me, you want to have another chat right now?"

No response, she didn't even seem to acknowledge him.

Dante frowned, he didn't like being ignored. "Hey, I'm talking to you..."

That got him a response, as Artemis narrowed her eyes dangerously at him.

"I..." he swallowed, "Sorry... I'm just surprise to see you in this dream..."

Without a word Artemis walk straight at him and through him, like a ghost. For a moment, Dante was too stunned to move, then he turned around. "Hey wait, what's going on here?" he asked, running to catch up to the goddess, who was already at the front doors.

Artemis stood in the foyer and took a moment to look around. She was still ignoring Dante's questions, and whenever he tried to touch her, his hands would simply pass through her.

Satisfied that no one was in the foyer Artemis began to climb the staircase toward the second floor. Giving up on trying getting her attention, Dante choose simply to just follow her.

Once in the second floor Artemis head to the last room on the left. The one with the black door. Her eyes focus on the floor as she notice the blood seeping from beneath.

Without hesitation, she reached for the door and pushed open. Dante was about to warned her about the monster behind it, but when the door opened, there was no monster.

Immediately, Artemis ran into the room Dante followed and almost gasp at what he saw inside.

The room was exactly as he remembered, no big pieces of furniture, only a dim light coming from a lantern. The only difference was that instead of a big chair in the middle of the room there where two bodies laying on the floor covered in blood.

Artemis kneel before the bodies and gently touched their heads. Dante walked around her to get a better look. He was surprise to discover that the bodies were that of two teenage girls. Both girls show bruises, cuts, and several other types of wounds; clear signs that they had been brutally torture.

Suddenly the door of the room slam shut revealing a man standing behind it. He looked to be in his mid twenty's and was ruggedly handsome, with jet black hair and dark green eyes. His face seem somehow to retain a hint of his childhood innocence. "Lady Artemis, what an honor. I'm glad you could make it. For a moment, I was afraid you were going to stood me up," he said.

Dante notice the goddess body tense, and saw her hands turning into fist. "Tell me, are you the one who did this?" she asked coldly, but it was clear she was trying to keep her anger under control. "And also the one that has been sending those monsters after my hunters and kidnapping them."

_Hunters? Those girls were hunters. _

"Yes," he said, so calm. "I needed something to get your attention my lady. I knew that attacking your hunters and taking a couple of them would do the trick. The name is Sage, by the way. Nice to finally meet you."

_Sage? Now where have I heard that name before? _

"Why?" Artemis growled.

"Why? I just told you, to get your attention. You can say I fancy you my Lady," he said, then added. "I must apologize for the mess, but you took longer than I expected, so I got bore." He took some type of ceremonial dagger from the back of his belt and twirl it in his hand. "So, I needed something to kill the time with. By the way, you do know how to pick your girls. They were tough, I had to get really creative with them… _to make them scream."_

That was it Artemis self control went out of the window. Dante could felt the terrible strength coming from her, and the fury was worse, rage seething under the shadow of a righteousness hunger for revenge.

Without warning, she charged at the man at an incredible speed. Out of thin air two long silver hunting knives, similar to Dante's, form in her hands. She swung down one of them and met the blade of the man's dagger. The clash echo loudly in the room and sparks flew.

Taken aback by the sheer ferocity of the goddess attack he staggered back, and was force to put some distance between them. "Oh my," he said with a smile as if nothing had happened. "Have I done something to offend you my Lady?"

Artemis let out a fierce growl that sounded as if every beast in the wild was furious. Then she went for him again, but just as she was about to strike, he raise one hand and yelled. "Respini!"

Then as if the goddess had been hit by an invisible force, she was sent flying backwards. She would have slam against the wall, but in the last second, she flipped in the air and bounce of the wall and landed on her feet.

_That's the same power Abby used,_ Dante realized.

Artemis narrowed her eyes at him. Pure animal hatred flared in her silver-yellow eyes. Then it was her turned to raised her hand, but unlike him, nothing happen. Her eyes opened wide, and for a moment she seemed surprised.

"If you are trying to turn me into some animal is not going to work," he gloated. "My mother is an expert when it comes to magic and her power trumps even yours in this place."

Artemis met the man's amused glare with one of full loathing. "So I can't turn you into a rotten. You think that's going to save you? I'm still going to rip you apart and feed you to my wolves."

He gave her another smile, "Got to love a girl who's not afraid to talk dirty," he taunted her. "But you're upset, I can see that. I know what wrong, duh, is so obvious. You hate to be confined in small places, right? We should probably move this outside, huh. Allow me." Once again he raised his hand, but this time toward the wall behind him. "Infernous!"

From the palm of his hand a fireball shot out and blasted a hole in the wall. He turned to face the goddess. "Coming?" he said before turning about and jumping through the hole. Artemis didn't waste any time and jump after him. Dante followed right after.

(/)

Sniffing the air, Artemis followed the man's scent into the courtyard. Then her fist tightened on the hilts of her knives, as the man, her hunter's murderer, was caught on her sight. Her unwavering eyes narrowed to vengeful yellow slits. Artemis sprung like a gazelle across the courtyard after him.

He was several yards away, but in a single jump, Artemis leap over and landed right in front of him, driving him to halt.

"You defile my hunters." Artemis hissed. "Do you actually think I would let you escape?"

"No, is just that I like to play hard to get," he taunted her one more time.

"Arrogant man," Artemis said sardonically. "Joke all you want, you will not be doing it for long." Abandoning all caution and restraint, she hacked at him.

He expertly parried the goddess slashing blades. Sparks flew in the darkness as steel met steel. Artemis thrust again, but he blocked the blow with his dagger. "Is that really the best you can do?" he kept taunting her. "No wonder why your hunters were so easy to beat, when they served such a weak goddess."

"You dare to call me weak," Artemis snarled back. "Foolish man, I'll show you weak."

She thrust, feinted, and parried, and quickly began to drive him back.

He lashed out, his dagger flickering quicksilver in the moonlight. Artemis whirled, turning against the blade, cutting her cheek on the razor edge. Her hand went to her face, and a golden smear glistened upon her finger tips. It was probably the first time in countless centuries since she had been wounded in battle.

"Got you there didn't I," he said, than he brought the dagger to his lips and lick the edge. "Umm... salty."

Artemis face curled in disgust. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough."

This time it was him who came toward her with eyes smiling and hungry, like a predator going for the kill. Artemis whirled her knives, and the edges of their weapons met, sending bright showers of red, yellow, and blue flying above their heads.

Artemis and the man, Sage, circle each other in the middle of the courtyard, swinging and parrying, dancing beneath and between the blades whistling across the air. Dante could see that he was starting to be more cautious as he approached her, after all, Artemis knives were longer and he had the shorter range.

He sweated and strained, Artemis, on the other hand remained unaffected; the auburn hair girl struck and blocked, staying calm and watching his face as they fought, as if she were searching for something.

"Tell me, do you still think I'm the weak one?" Artemis asked.

Panting now, he kept striking at her, but his moves were slowing down, and his accuracy was suffering badly. He tried to make his body flow naturally, but his blows were off, he was missing, and Artemis was just playing with him now. It look to Dante like a cat toying with a mouse before the final kill.

Then one of his swings was too wide, and Artemis easily stepped out of range. Then, before, Sage even had the time to recover; she spun in a double circle and came out with a vicious side kick to his sternum. His eyes went wide with pain. Artemis, however, was not done yet. She struck again, by embedding one of her knives deep into his right shoulder. Then she pinned his calf in place and dropped her full weight on his knee; which surprisingly seem to be a lot more than the normal weight for a twelve year old girl. She shatter the bone with enough force that even Dante could hear when the bone disintegrated.

He only let out a gasped, but never scream. Sage careened backwards on one leg than fell on his back.

Dante was astonished to see how easily a small girl leave a man twice her sizes bloody and broken on the ground.

Artemis walked over to him and crouched. Then she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him up to where her face was only inches away from his. She pressed the tip of her other knife to his neck indenting the skin, a single drop of blood ran down his neck.

"Before you died, I want you to know something," she snapped, "That there won't be any punishment big enough for you in the underworld. I'll demand of Hades to cast your soul into Tartarus for these crimes."

Dante was surprised that despite the amount of pain he had to be in, Sage, still have enough strength to smile at her. His once perfect white teeth were now smear with his own blood.

His eyes gleamed, then suddenly he spat on her face. The gobbet of saliva and blood struck the goddess square on the mouth. She grimaced as she tasted some of his blood.

She finally gave into her fury, raising her knife to deliver the final blow, but before she could bring it down fire erupted all around. A dozen torches that seemed to be made out of skulls and spears form a big flaming circle around them.

"What's happening?"

Artemis inattention cost her dearly, as Sage took advantages of it to performed one final act of defiance. Reaching out with his left arm, he grabbed the goddess by the back of her neck. Then did the only thing no men or god had ever been able to do. He kissed her.

For the quick second that the kiss lasted, the fire on the skull torches flared up, and both Artemis and Sage glowed.

"No," Artemis blurted, pushing him away, her eyes wide with shock. "What do you think you are doing?"

Then as if someone had punched her, Artemis double over and clutched her abdomen, snarling like a wolf. "What have you done?" She took an enormous breath of air and went still, but a moment later she fell on her knees and bent over. Her skin flushed bright red, drained white and flushed again. She writhed in agony.

Sage laugh was hysterical. "It would seem my lady that you are not as inviolable as you always thought." He gave her one last smile than turned his gaze to the dark sky. "Mother, it is done."

Then he went very still and just like that he was gone. Disappear.

Artemis screamed in pain and Dante rushed to her side and crouched, frozen, paralyzed with shock. He had no idea how he could possibly help her when he couldn't even touch her. All he could do was watched how she convulse and twisted in pain.

He tried yelling for help, but only his voice, along with the hideous gasps and moans bursting from the goddess lips, punctuated the silence. Her skin was slick with sweat and cracks began to appear all over her body, revealing light underneath. Her body twisted and glow more and more out of control.

Then letting out one last painful scream she exploded into a brilliant ball of light. The pain had forced the goddess to revert to her true form and showed Dante what a supernova probably look like up close. He was sure that the light was so bright that even mortals would be able to see it from miles and miles away. Then suddenly the light subsided, and Artemis was back in her twelve year old form.

Dante was relief to see that she no longer seemed to be in pain. She lay quietly on the ground taking slow, deep breaths. Then the silence was broken once more, but by a different type of sound: the cry of a baby.

Artemis sat up with a start, and immediately, her hands travel to her mouth to hold back a gasp. Her eyes got wide and full of shock as she rest them upon a newborn baby laying right next to her.

(/)

Dante woke up shaking and still in chains, but he didn't care about that right now. His mind was still processing the dream he just had. "No it can't be true," he blurted.

He didn't want to believe that the baby he saw in the dream could possibly be him, because if it was, that meant...

"That man…that _murderer_ was my… father."

_**To be continued…**_

[A/N} Well there you have it the big reveal. Anyway please let me know what you think of this chapter and about the way Dante was born. I really would like to know. There still some information about his birth that hasn't be reveal yet, but that comes in the next chapter. Well that's it for now. I really hope you all like it. Well, until next time. Seeya.


End file.
